KNOWLEDGE OF LATVIAN DERMATOLOGISTS IN OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY USING LIQUID NITROGEN AND CRYOSURGERY SPRAY GUN

Background. Cryosurgery using liquid nitrogen and cryosurgery spray gun is often used among dermatologists all over the world, but information on occupational safety in this area is not easy to obtain. Objectives. The aim of the study is to evaluate the knowledge of Latvian dermatologists in occupational safety using liquid nitrogen and cryosurgery spray gun. Materials and methods. The methods used in the study include literature review and survey. The literature on safety aspects to be considered when working with liquid nitrogen and cryosurgery spray gun was reviewed. A web survey was used to evaluate the knowledge of dermatologists. IBM SPSS Statistics was used to analyze the results, descriptive statistical analysis and Independent Samples T Test was applied (p<0.05 was considered as statistically significant). Results. 28 respondents took part in the survey. Latvian dermatologists' knowledge of occupational safety using liquid nitrogen and cryosurgery spray gun reaches 63%. Individual results of the surveyed specialists varies from 30% to 90%. Most of the respondents (54%, n=15) admitted that they had not read the instructions for use of the cryosurgery spray gun, however, their knowledge of occupational safety was not statistically significantly worse than those who had read the instructions. Conclusion. The knowledge of dermatologists can be assessed as mediocre. There is insufficient knowledge about the properties of nitrogen as a chemical element, as well as its storage conditions, various pressure regulation systems and the principles of operation of cryosurgery spray gun. In order to improve the knowledge, it is recommended to promote the availability of the instructions for use of the spray gun, to upgrade their content, to incorporate the issue in conferences related to dermatology, as well as to perform training in the workplaces of specialists.