Behavioural responses of medical students on exposure to cadaver dissection

Abstract

Objective: Medical Students react differently when exposed to cadaver dissection for the first time. Reactions range from fear to anxiety, conjunctiva irritation, nausea and vomiting. Long term effects include loss of appetite, insomnia, headaches, to mention a few despite its importance in the training of medical students. This study therefore seeks to determine the influence of cadaver dissection on behavioural patterns and its effect on the consumption of meat among medical students. Method. This cross-sectional survey includes 240 volunteer first year Medical and Paramedical students of the Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria, who correctly filled and returned administered questionnaires with thirteen statements of problems. The students were to choose either YES or NO for each statement put forward. Results: Result reveals 57.9% were excited at first exposure, 61.7% experienced emotional shock, 47.5% experienced fear while virtually all respondents 93.0% experienced eye irritation. A later observation revealed 44.2% experienced headache, 57.5% dizziness, 48.0% experienced disturbed sleep, 27.1% experienced loss of appetite, 23.8% experienced dislike for meal and 19.2% experienced unusual thirst. Conclusion: Most of their experiences could be associated with improper orientation before contact with cadaver, smell of formalin and its constituents. However, most students believed cadaver dissection is important in their training. Therefore, proper orientation before first contact with cadaver could help reduce some of the behavioural responses observed.