Risk and Prevention of Hepatitis B Infection among Medical Students at Thammasart University, Center of Clinical Medical Science, Buddha Sodhorn Hospit

Abstract

This Survey Research aimed to study the risk of hepatitis B infection and to find means to prevent hepatitis B infection in medical students. The subjects were medical students in the fourth, fifth, and sixth years of study in the academic year 2013 at Thammasart University, Center of Clinical Medical Science, Buddha Sodhorn Hospital. The data were collected via questionnaires from April to May, 2014. The statistics used were percentage, mean values, and standard deviations. The risk of hepatitis B infection was assessed for risk levels under the standards implemented by the Institute of Diseases Associated with Occupations and Environments. Group discussions were conducted to find means of prevention.None of the medical students had been ill due to hepatitis B transmission, and they rarely received blood. Most of them were vaccinated (92.9%) and more than half of the subjects got a hepatitis B check-up (56%). Around three fourths worked in places at risk of hepatitis B infection, that is, patient wards, emergency rooms, surgery rooms, and delivery/ labor rooms. The majority of the subjects had not been ear-pierced (79.8%). The medical students' risk of hepatitis B infection included getting pierced by a needle or cut by a knife (38.1%), working late-night shifts (56.2%), working in patient wards (56.2%), taking other responsibilities (56.2%), and being careless (34.3%). The subjects got the knowledge about hepatitis B infection from their study (65.5%), from the most recent danger prevention measure, that is, never insert a used needle into a barrel (86.9%), from practice of a current danger prevention measure, i.e., never insert a used needle into a barrel (81.0%). The results from knowledge management regarding high risk of the incidence of getting pierced by a needle or cut by sharp materials showed that there was no written policy and stipulation of a practice guideline to prevent the incidence, except the practice guideline after the incidence had occurred. For the occupational standard, the result showed that the office light's glare was lower than the standard brightness. To prevent the accidents, job safety analysis, precautions of advert incidents, as well as communication channels for all office workers should be exploited in every units.