ASSESSING CROSS INFECTION PREVENTION MEASURES AT THE DENTAL CLINIC, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE HOSPITAL, IBADAN

Abstract

The dental clinic is an environment where disease transmission occurs easily. cross infection, sterilization, disinfection Infec tious waste. of cross infection in the dental clinic is therefore a crucial aspect of dental practice and dental clinic workers must adopt certain basic routines while practicing. This study evaluates basic routines in prevention of cross-infection in the dental clinic. University College Hospital Ibadan. the sample comprised 77 dental clinic workers, w h o completed closed-ended questionnaires. The questionnaires enquired into practices of the workers in the clinic as well as in the laboratories. Physical inspection o f dental equipment, instruments and materials was also carried out. The results highlight poor compliance of workers, especially the dental surgeons and students, with the hepatitis B vaccination programme of the Hospital. History to identify high risk individuals was often overlooked and was practised by less than 50 % of the clinic workers. Barrier technique with the exception of the use of eye shield, was well practised by all the clinic workers. Aseptic technique was well practised in the dental clinic. Inadequate number of dental surgery assistants, faulty sterilizing equipment, poor monitoring o f sterilization, coupled with inadequate number of instruments contributed to the poor success o f prevention of contamination and instrument processing procedures. Less than 30 % of dental surgeons and fewer than 50% of students discarded sharp materials into the yellow/sharp bin. Liquid waste was well disposed off through the drain for onward flow into the sewer, whilst the disposal of solid contaminated waste did not conform to stipulated international standard. The study found that successful infection control in the dental clinic was highly dependent on the dental surgery assistants, because highly technological equipment were lacking. The management/ad - ministration also plays an important role in the number of physical and human resources available and in the overall surveillance of nosocomial infections