[Occupational exposure to blood among medical students in Casablanca (Morocco): Analysis of knowledge and practices]. / Les accidents d?exposition au sang chez les étudiants en médecine de Casablanca (Maroc) : Analyse des connaissances et pratiques.

Occupational exposure to blood (OEB) is associated with a significant risk of transmission of bloodborne viruses to medical students. The objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and practices of Casablanca medical students concerning OEB preventive measures and their behaviour after accidental exposure. A cross-sectional study was carried out at the Ibn Rochd University Hospital in Casablanca using stratified cluster sampling ; data from this study were collected by means of an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. The mean age was 22.38 years (SD = 1.69) with a female predominance (56.0%). About 17.5% of students had experienced at least one OEB, and only 38.3% were familiar with the standard precautions to prevent these accidents. Accidental exposure was significantly associated with needle recapping (p = 0.002) and ignorance of standard precautions (p = 0.028).These results illustrate the insufficient knowledge and poor compliance with preventive measures of occupational exposure to blood, indicating the need for awareness-raising and training activities for medical students.