SynthesisJournal of global health2025
Prevalence of needlestick injuries in dental assistants: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Journal of global health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Assessing the Seroprevalence of and Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Related to Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C Among Dental Health Professionals in the Country of Georgia, 2023.Journal of viral hepatitis · 2026Article
- Needlestick and sharps Injuries among dental practitioners: a cross-sectional study of prevalence, risk factors, and postexposure management.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- A machine learning-based approach for precision risk stratification and multifactorial analysis of needlestick injuries in oral and maxillofacial surgery nursing.BMC nursing · 2025Article
- Sharp injuries to blood-borne pathogens among healthcare workers and influencing factors in a tertiary specialist hospital (2019-2022): a retrospective study.Scientific reports · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Needlestick injuries (NSIs) are recognised as a major occupational health concern for health care workers, particularly dental assistants who frequently handle sharp instruments. However, little attention has been paid to this vulnerable group. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the prevalence of NSIs among dental assistants and identify associated risk factors to promote the safety level of dental assistants and the development of prevention strategies. Methods: We followed PRISMA guidelines and registered the protocol with PROSPERO (CRD 42023404766), searching PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and Ovid databases for studies published between January 2000 and January 2023. We selected relevant studies by screening titles and abstracts, and then evaluated the full texts. Risk of bias was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Checklist for prevalence studies proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). Results: Eleven studies involving 2663 dental assistants were included. The pooled NSIs prevalence was 44% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.29-0.59), with significant heterogeneity (I Conclusions: The 44% prevalence of NSIs among dental assistants implies a non-negligible risk. Instrument cleaning and the handling of local anaesthetic syringes are the principal procedures and associated factors contributing to their NSI exposure. Registration: International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD 42023404766).
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.