FOR DENTISTS PRACTICE SURFACE BORNE INFECTIONSCategory: Health
Article posted by: Jawad Amjad
INTRODUCTION
The healthcare sector is coming under pressure to increase the standards of cleanliness and to minimise the risk of infection without the unnecessary use of disinfectants. In order to do this, a number of high-tech cleaning solutions have been developed. The use of sophisticated steam cleaning methods has been adopted to maintain the standard of hygiene in medical practices. According to the clinical polices related to cleanliness and maintenance in dental practices, steam cleaners or vacuum cleaners should have HEPA filters to avoid dust contamination of surfaces.
Cleaning is the first step in the decontamination process. It must be carried out before disinfection and sterilisation to make these processes effective. Thorough cleaning is extremely important in reducing the possible transmission of all micro-organisms.
CURRENT PROBLEMS
Transmission of diseases among dental health care workers and their patients remains a major threat that needs to be constantly dealt with and kept in check. Infections are spread if the following criteria are satisfied:
(i) the presence of a susceptible host;
(ii) the presence of pathogenic micro-organisms;
(iii) a portal of entry via which the organisms invade and colonize the susceptible host
Absence of any one of these criteria will prevent the transmission of an infectious disease. Dental practices therefore have a huge task of ensuring that one, two, or all of these criteria are eliminated.
The following are current and emerging infections in dental practices, which continue to pose as huge problems and remain a cause of concern:
M. Tuberculosis
Outpatient dental settings receive more patients who have M. Tuberculosis. Understanding of the pathogen helps DHCP determine how to manage such patients.
M.Tuberculosis is a bacterium that causes respiratory infection. It is an airborne infection that can be generated when persons with pulmonary or laryngeal TB sneeze, cough or speak. The particles measure 1-5 µm and can stay suspended in the air for hours. The infection occurs when a susceptible person inhales droplet nuclei containing M.Tuberculosis. These tiny droplets travel to the lungs and usually within 2-12 weeks after initial infection, immune response prevents further spread of the TB bacterium and the patient is diagnosed as having a latent TB infection which persists for years. However, they can develop active disease later in life if they do not receive treatment for their latent infection. [4]
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
MRSA is a bacterium that is resistant to common antibiotics. “Meticillin-resistant” means the bacteria are unaffected by meticillin, a type of antibiotic that used to be able to kill MRSA. Therefore MRSA is more difficult to treat than other bacterial infections. It is not normally found in the oral cavity but may occasionally be isolated from oral infections according to the department of health best dental practice. There is no special infection control precautions necessary for the dental treatment of patients colonised with MRSA but DHCP should not undertake or assist in invasive procedures. [4]
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is an infective neurological disease that is caused by a unusual pathogen called prion. They are proteins that are capable of self-propagation although they lack nucleic acid. In Humans the disease causes fatal encephalopathy. From the dental interest the disease is caused by patient to patient cross infection of unsterilized or contaminated instruments. [4]
CURRENT SOLUTION
Good Medical Practice recommend the following procedures for cleanliness and hygiene, and to protect both staff and patients alike:
- Hand sanitizers should be used by practitioners and the public to reduce the levels of pathogens that would cause cross infection.
- Sharp instruments and needle should be handled with great care to prevent unintentional injury. Needles should never be recapped by using both hands in direct contact or by any other technique that involves moving the point of a used needle towards any part of the body. The needle can be recapped by laying the cap on the tray, placing the cap in a resheathing device or holding the cap with forceps
before guiding the needle into the cap.
- Sterilisation equipment that comprises of autoclave machines and ultra-violet and gamma rays that can destroy pathogens which reside on the equipment should be used by the health care practitioners in their daily practice.
- Protective clothing like gloves, caps, protective glasses, gowns should be worn by dentists, dental surgery assistants, dental nurses or any staff members in close proximity, to protect the eyes against the spatter and aerosols which may occur during cavity preparation, scaling and the cleaning of instruments. Uniforms should be changed regularly and whenever soiled. Gowns or aprons
should be worn during procedures that are likely to cause spattering of blood.
- Special chemical detergents and wipes should be used to reduce the contaminants on surfaces.
- Proper ventilation systems are to be used to ensure a high level of air quality.
THE CASE FOR STEAM CLEANERS
New research released in the “Control of the Environment” states that “steam cleaning is the most effective way of cleaning and ensuring high level of hygiene”. Organisms like MRSA, Acinetobacter and Clostridium difficile spores are completely removed with steam cleaning and use of micro-fibre clothes.
Why use Steam Cleaners?
The use of steam cleaners in removing harmful particles can not be emphasised enough.
- Steam destroys the biofilm inhabited by bacteria on curtains, bed frames and mattresses. At high temperatures the steam destroys the hard protective coat of the mould spores and makes them less infectious.
- Steam cleaner are highly effective in eradicating dust mites and their eggs from bedding, carpets, upholstery and clothing.
- Even highly resistant bacteria like MRSA are vulnerable at very high temperatures.
- Common viruses can be killed in the temperature range of 167-212 degree F or 75-100 degrees C. Steam cleaners are used to kill flu viruses and norovirus.
- Steam cleaners are used to sanitize and disinfect without the use of harmful chemicals.
- Steam cleaning is efficient and effective as it is also used in hard to reach areas where mops and cleaning brushes can not reach.
- Recent studies suggest that dry steam cleaning reduces the adhesion of the soil to the surface, allowing for rapid and consistent removal.
- The NHS suggests the use of dry steam cleaning and microfiber clothes for cleaning.
- They are environmentally friendly and do not pose a risk to our health.
- Steam cleaning is particularly effective for use on soft surfaces like curtains and blinds without the risk of the blinds getting damaged.
- Chemical residues left after normal cleaning of windows causes dirt and dust to stick to the residue. Also, chemicals used for cleaning windows or glass can also release chemical odours that lead to Allergic irritation. Steam cleaners ensure that no residue and odour is left behind.
- Steam cleaners are cost effective as steam cleaning fridges, table tops, floor surfaces takes less time and used less man hours.
- Steam cleaners are used to clean bathroom tiles and floors, vinyl and wood surfaces in the rooms, carpets in the lobby, curtains, upholstery, beds and benches where patients sit or sleep, table tops, kitchen counters, fridge etc,
- Dentists use high velocity machines for dental procedures that sometimes produce a spray of debris that contain various microbes which settle on the equipment, bench, chair, floor and table tops. Steam cleaners ensure that those microbes are removed by a jet of high temperature steam.
Find out more at http://www.dentist-hygiene.co.uk/acatalog/SteamCleaners_For_Dental_Practices.html
Posted By: Jawad Amjad
Web: http://www.dentist-hygiene.co.uk
Contact: e-mail
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