AIDS AND INFECTION CONTROL - DUTCH DENTAL HYGIENISTS SURVEYED

A sample of all dental hygienists practicing in the Netherlands beside s Amsterdam (n = 669) and all dental hygienists practicing in Amsterda m (n = 118) were sent a questionnaire to assess the extent of complian ce with the Dutch Health Council's guidelines to prevent HIV transmiss ion in dental practices. The response rate was 64%. Gloves, masks and spectacles were widely used. Use of disposable parts of the three-way syringes, medical dishwasher, sterilizable handles and sterilizable th ree-way syringes was insufficient. Disinfection was too often preferre d to sterilization. Compliance with the guidelines was not related to the size of the city of practice. Amsterdam hygienists did not comply better than hygienists not from Amsterdam. One third of the respondent s asked questions to assess whether a patient was HIV seropositive. Ev idently, the view of the Dutch Health Council that knowledge of seropo sitivity is not necessary, was not shared by a substantial part of the hygienists. Fear of infection appeared to be negatively related to ex perience in treating HIV-seropositive patients and, indirectly, to per ceived knowledge about AIDS.