Exploring Safety Aspects in Dental School Clinics Including Droplet Infection Prevention

Asmaa Abdelnaby; Laila Mahmoud Kamel; Jylan Elguindy; Reham Yousri Elamir; Eman Elfar

doi:10.3889/oamjms.2020.4941

Authors

Asmaa Abdelnaby Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine – Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
Laila Mahmoud Kamel Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine – Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
Jylan Elguindy Fixed Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry – Cairo University and Nahda University, Cairo, Egypt
Reham Yousri Elamir Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine – Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
Eman Elfar Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine – Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2020.4941

Keywords:

Dental clinic safety, Patient safety, COVID-19, Handwashing, X-ray safety, Dental health-care personnel

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Health-care safety focuses on improving patient’s and worker’s safety in a safe working clinics’ environment and prevent infection transmission including droplet infections as seasonal influenza and novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Dental health-care personnel (DHCP) are the target of safety measures and are themselves responsible for elimination of preventable harm. Dental schools are expected to demonstrate the model for quality safe care.

AIM: This study aims to achieve high-quality safe dental care at dental clinics, Faculty of Dentistry, Cairo University.

METHODS: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted at two Dental Outpatient Clinics, Cairo University. Disk review of policies, observation checklists for practices and awareness questionnaires of DHCP were used.

RESULTS: DHCP showed good awareness for most of infection control (IC) and X-ray safety items. However, there are no policies or procedures to control droplet infections in the clinics. The clinics were closed in the current COVID-19 pandemic. There were poor patient safety practices, hand hygiene compliance, and personal protective equipment (PPE) use except for protecting clothes and disposable gloves. Students showed better compliance for patient safety guidelines. Other safety policies were poorly communicated.

CONCLUSION: There should be preparedness plan to deal with any droplet infection outbreak, epidemic or pandemic as COVID-19 in all dental settings. There is a need to initiate dental safety unit in dental schools to implement, communicate, train, and supervise all dental safety practices including infection control.

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