ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To identify reported practices for cross-infection control in dental laboratories and to quantify the importance of the flaws encountered. DATA SOURCES: Systematic search (cross-infection AND dental laboratory) at EMBASE, PubMed, SciELO and Scopus databases. STUDY SELECTION: Papers reporting on cross-sectional studies providing original data about cross-infection knowledge, practices and attitudes of dental technicians. Papers reporting on a single laboratory or institution were excluded. DATA EXTRACTION: Data extraction was undertaken independently by three reviewers using a purpose made form. The outcome of this study was analyzed in five aspects, namely process organization, disinfection, working environment, use of individual protective equipment and vaccination policy. RESULTS OF DATA SYNTHESIS: The systematic search output was 1651 references and 11 papers were finally selected. Flaws were more frequently identified in terms of vaccination policy, biological safety of the working environment and use of individual protective equipment (100%). Slightly better results were found in terms of organization of the cross-infection control process (89.47%) and disinfection practices (85.71%). The application of the formula for disclosing the relative importance of the flaws identified in the literature prioritizes the need for interventions aimed at improving the organization of the cross-infection control procedures, followed by training in item disinfection. The control of the working environment together with the use of individual protective equipments rank closely in importance, followed by the existence of a vaccination policy. CONCLUSIONS: Sub-standard cross-contamination practices seem to be a common finding in dental laboratories, which may well compromise the quality of certain dental treatments.
Subject(s)
Cross Infection/prevention & control , Dental Technicians , Laboratories, Dental/organization & administration , Cross-Sectional Studies , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Humans , Infection Control/methodsABSTRACT
Fundamento: El laboratorio dental es una fuente potencial de contaminación cruzada. Este trabajo busca evaluar su control en Galicia. Material y métodos: Entrevistas telefónicas aleatorias y voluntarias hasta completar 149 cuestionarios. Las variables se describen mediante porcentajes o medias y desviaciones típicas. Se realiza análisis bivariante empleando ji cuadrado. Resultados: Participaron mayoritariamente varones (68,5%), de mediana edad (media=45,7; DE=9,8) con 20,8 (DE=10,5) años de ejercicio en laboratorios urbanos medianos (58,4%), que cuentan mayoritariamente con protocolo escrito (57,7%) y que identifican mayor riesgo al recibir trabajos (80,6%). El 55,0% (significativamente hombres de mayor edad) no asegura la desinfección de los trabajos. La mayoría usa guantes (62,4%), sobre todo jóvenes en laboratorios grandes. Un 55,7% está vacunado frente a hepatitis B. Una minoría (22,0%) ha recibido formación en control de contaminación cruzada. Conclusiones: Las prácticas de control de contaminación cruzada se encuentran por debajo de los estándares recomendados, con un importante déficit de formación y protocolos
Background: Dental laboratories are a potential source of cross-contamination. This study aims to assess its control in Galicia. Methods: Voluntary random telephone interviews resulted in 149 completed questionnaires. The variables are described by percentages or means and standar deviations. A bivariate analysis was undertaken using the Chi square test. Results: Participants were mostly middle-age (mean=45.7, SD=9.8) males (68.5%) with 20.8 (SD=10.5) years of professional experience in middle-size urban (58.4%) laboratories, who identified a higher risk when receiving items from the clinic (80.6%). Most technicians (57.7%) have a written protocol. Many (55.0%), significantly older males, do not check for item disinfection. Most technicians use gloves (62.4%) particularly younger staff at larger laboratories. Fifty-five point seven percent had been vaccinated against hepatitis B. Only 22.0% of technicians reported receiving training in cross-contamination control. Conclusions: Identified cross-infection control practices are below standards, and lack of training and protocols are a matter for concern
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Middle Aged , Infection Control/methods , Dental Prosthesis , Laboratories, Dental/organization & administration , Laboratories, Dental/standards , Patient Safety , Laboratories, Dental , Health Surveys , Telephone , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Dental laboratories are a potential source of cross-contamination. This study aims to assess its control in Galicia. METHODS: Voluntary random telephone interviews resulted in 149 completed questionnaires. The variables are described by percentages or means and standard deviations. A bivariate analysis was undertaken using the Chi square test. RESULTS: Participants were mostly middle-age (mean=45.7, SD=9.8) males (68.5%) with 20.8 (SD=10.5) years of professional experience in middle-size urban (58.4%) laboratories, who identified a higher risk when receiving items from the clinic (80.6%). Most technicians (57.7%) have a written protocol. Many (55.0%), significantly older males, do not check for item disinfection. Most technicians use gloves (62.4%) particularly younger staff at larger laboratories. Fifty-five point seven percent had been vaccinated against hepatitis B. Only 22.0% of technicians reported receiving training in cross-contamination control. CONCLUSIONS: Identified cross-infection control practices are below standards, and lack of training and protocols are a matter for concern.
Subject(s)
Dental Prosthesis/microbiology , Equipment Contamination/prevention & control , Laboratories, Dental/standards , Cross Infection/prevention & control , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Spain , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: We examine a possible protective effect from growth hormone (GH) against radiation in cell cultures of rat embryon brain cortex. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Brain cortexes were removed from rat embryos of 17 days development and prepared for cell culture. The culture medium of half the plates was enriched with 500 ng/ml GH. All plates received a radiation dose of 3 Gy per plate and were again incubated for 24 hours. The TUNEL technique was employed to verify cell apoptosis in the irradiated plates and compare its level in plates with and without GH. CONCLUSIONS: We observed that irradiated cultures with GH had significantly less cell apoptosis than those without GH and concluded that this hormone excercised a protective effect on the cell cultures. The present study demonstrated the protective effect from GH in rat embryonary cells and suggests the need for future in vitro and in vivo studies using central nervous system cells.
Subject(s)
Brain/cytology , Brain/drug effects , Growth Hormone/pharmacology , Neuroprotective Agents/pharmacology , Animals , Apoptosis , Brain/radiation effects , Cell Culture Techniques , Cell Movement/physiology , In Situ Nick-End Labeling/instrumentation , Male , Rats , Rats, WistarABSTRACT
Objetivo. Estudiar el efecto protector de la hormona del crecimiento (GH) in vitro en los cultivos de células de cortezas de embriones de ratas cuando se administra radioterapia. Material y métodos. Se han realizado cultivos de las células de las cortezas de embriones de ratas en el 17º día. Después de 24 horas de incubación de los cultivos con la GH (dosis, 500 ng/mL) sin sueros, las placas con los cultivos recibieron tratamiento radioterápico en una dosis de 3 Gy por placa, y se mantuvieron a continuación en estufa durante más de 24 horas para observar el efecto comparativo de la radioterapia en los cultivos irradiados con y sin la GH. Por medio de la técnica de TUNEL para verificación de la apoptosis celular hicimos un estudio comparativo para valorar si había diferentes grados de apoptosis en las placas de cultivos celulares con y sin la GH tras la administración de radioterapia. Conclusión. La GH, en la dosis empleada, causa un significativo aumento de la celularidad en las células cultivadas al ser una hormona proliferativa, factor comprobado por otros estudios realizados previamente. A través de la realización de la técnica de apoptosis en los cultivos de las células de la corteza de embriones de ratas apreciamos que, en las placas irradiadas que recibieron GH, hubo significativamente menos apoptosis celular que en los cultivos sin GH, la cual ejerce un efecto protector sobre estas células. Creemos que la GH ejerce un efecto protector sobre las células del SNC de embriones de ratas in vitro, y puede ser objeto de estudio su efecto protector in vivo (AU)
