Waddell C E, Bennett C L, Davies J L
Department of Anthropology, University of Western Australia.
Aust Dent J. 1994 Aug;39(4):233-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1834-7819.1994.tb04783.x.
This paper examines the perceived risk of occupationally contracting HIV among dental care providers. This examination is based upon responses to a mailed questionnaire from all registered dentists (76 per cent response rate, n = 550) and dental therapists (63 per cent response rate, n = 208) in Western Australia during 1992. Results indicate that: 1) dental care providers who perceive a high risk of occupationally contracting HIV report a more conservative, cautious approach to HIV infection than do providers who perceive less risk of contracting the virus; 2) dental therapists are more likely than dentists to report a higher degree of perceived risk of occupationally contracting HIV; and 3) dentists are more likely than dental therapists to perceive compliance with universal precaution guidelines in dental practices in which they work. Reasons are presented for a suspicion that both sets of perceptions may be exaggerated. The need to educate dental therapists on the realistic risks of occupationally contracting HIV and to educate dentists on the value of compliance (and of appearing to comply) with universal precaution guidelines in order to help reduce undue stress and hindrances in the provision of safe and effective dental care in this era of AIDS concludes this paper.
本文探讨了牙科护理人员认为职业感染艾滋病毒的风险。这项调查基于对西澳大利亚州所有注册牙医（回复率76%，n = 550）和牙科治疗师（回复率63%，n = 208）1992年邮寄问卷的回复。结果表明：1）认为职业感染艾滋病毒风险高的牙科护理人员，相较于认为感染风险较低的人员，对艾滋病毒感染采取更保守、谨慎的态度；2）牙科治疗师比牙医更有可能报告其认为职业感染艾滋病毒的风险程度更高；3）牙医比牙科治疗师更有可能认为他们工作的牙科诊所遵守了普遍预防措施指南。文中提出了对这两种认知可能都被夸大的怀疑理由。本文最后指出，有必要对牙科治疗师进行职业感染艾滋病毒实际风险的教育，并对牙医进行遵守（以及看起来遵守）普遍预防措施指南的价值的教育，以帮助在艾滋病时代减少提供安全有效牙科护理时的过度压力和障碍。
