KAP study about biomedical waste management practices among dental practitioners in urban area of Andhra Pradesh

Introduction: Bio Medical Waste (BMW) management is an integral part of any health care system. Proper handling, storage, transportation and safe disposal will prevent the chances of nosocomial infections not only among healthcare personnel but also in patients and their relatives visiting the centre. Objective:To assess the knowledge, attitude and practices about BMW handling among dental practitioners in an urban area of Andhra Pradesh. Materials and Method:A hospital based cross sectional study was conducted in Kurnool urban area from September 2017 to January 2018. A total of 360 dental practitioners were present in the study area, out of which 320 agreed and gave consent for participation in the study. A pre validated questionnaire was used for the study. Details regarding sociodemographic factors, and on knowledge attitude and practices about biomedical waste management practice were incorporated. Results:As per the knowledge about the biomedical waste management, 43.4% had excellent knowledge, 33.8% good, 19.4% moderate knowledge regarding the BMW management. Conclusion:Continuing training programs which emphasize on BMW management practices would assist in improving the present situation of safe handling and disposal of health care waste.