All published articles of this journal are available on ScienceDirect.
Knowledge and Awareness regarding Dental Management of Hemophilic Patients among Students of a Malaysian University: A Cross-Sectional Study
Abstract
Background:
Improper management of bleeding disorders in the dental setting can lead to complications that can endanger the lives of such patients.
Objective:
This study aimed to assess the knowledge and awareness of dental management of hemophilia among undergraduate students of a Malaysian university.
Methodology:
A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the year 2018-2019 to collect the data. A 23-item questionnaire developed and validated by the authors was used to collect data on the knowledge and awareness regarding dental management of hemophilia patients. A total of 216 dental students participated in this research. Unpaired t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to compare the knowledge score between gender and academic year.
Results:
Only 21% of the participants were confident in treating a hemophilia patient. About 97% of the participants believed that the dental curriculum must be modified to emphasize the dental management of bleeding disorders. The overall mean of the knowledge score was 47.38% and awareness was 73.7% regarding the management of patients with hemophilia.
Conclusion:
The study revealed significant scope for improvement in the dental students' knowledge, which can be achieved by modifying the dental curriculum suitably to provide more emphasis on the management of bleeding disorders.