Western Digital
... Dental health care personnel and dental patients are at risk of contracting many diseases such as hepatitis B, tuberculosis, influenza, herpes simplex and streptococcal infection etc. ... The virus is highly contagious, infection can occur by sharing razors and toothbrushes. This map illustrates the distribution of hepatitis B carriers in the world and China is one of the areas having a high prevalence in chronic hepatitis B infection. ... The bacteria, however, will remain latent in about 10% of the infected who will, within the first 1-2 years after infection or even later in life, develop active disease and become infectious. ... If urgent dental care is needed, the care should be delivered in an airborne infection isolation room with air exhausted to the outside or HEPA-filtered. ... The most common Streptococcal infection is strep throat caused by Streptococcus pyogenes. ... Studies worldwide indicate the average risk of HIV infection after a single percutaneous exposure to HIV-infected blood is 0. ... In the context of dentistry, these pathogens and many others are transmitted in the following different ways: 1. ... An example in dentistry is percutaneous injury. ... We, DHCP, work in very close distance to potential source of infection (14 to 20 inches). It is therefore imperative for us, dental health care personnel, to learn the basic infection control procedures so as to protect us as well as our patients from these pathogens. Let me first introduce you to a few important concepts before I elaborate on the infection control protocols. ... We, dental health care personnel, should therefore apply the SAME infection control procedures to ALL patients. ... In dentistry, sterilization by heat is the preferred method. ... We are now ready to look at the infection control protocols: 1. ... - when airborne infection such as TB is suspected, N95 which has the ability to filter 1um particles with >95% efficiency should be used - the fit of the mask is important to get a good seal. ... , 5% of hospitalized patients acquire infection while staying in the hospital. It has been found that the infection is transmitted via the health care workers’ hands. ... The third area of infection control protocols focuses on 1. ... clinical contact surfaces - light handles, dental chair, air/water syringe attachement, control unit switches, etc. ... One area of increasing concern in infection control is the dental unit waterlines (ie. ... To keep the dental unit water quality under control, the followings are recommended: 1. ... In conclusion, it is considered important to implement an infection control program for all DHCP: 1. Education and Training - personnel subject to occupational exposure should receive infection control training on initial assignment and preferably annually. They are more likely to comply with the infection control procedures if they understand its rationale. ... the case should be assessed for the risk for infection and the need for further follow-up such as post-exposure prophylaxis and counselling. ... Medical conditions, work-related illness and work restrictions - DHCP who have acute or chronic medical conditions that render them susceptible to opportunistic infection or infective to others should be restricted from work. In conclusion, in this day and age when globalization has brought the world so much closer than ever before, when the misuse of antibiotics has greatly increased resistant bacterial strains, and when industrialization in this country has detrimentally polluted the living environment, there is no reason for us health-care workers not to observe stringent infection control protocols in our workplaces.