IPC Update

Jan. 17, 2023 | Health, Safety & Environment Coordinator

Note: To find topics from previous bulletins, please use the search icon [🔎] in the top right-hand corner of this page.

Safety Glasses & Face Shields in Clinical & Simulation Areas

With the implementation of enhanced safety protocols to manage patient care during the pandemic we began ensuring anyone who is working/learning in our clinical spaces has either safety glasses or a full face shield on at all times. This has always been an occupational health requirement, but was not well implemented by everyone in all School of Dentistry clinical & simulation spaces.

Recently, I have witnessed some confusion around what eyewear is required and when so here is a quick recap of our ongoing requirements regarding eye protection.

• Safety glasses must be worn when in any School of Dentistry clinical area, lab area, simulation area, reprocessing area. 

• Full face shields must be worn for all aerosol generating intraoral activities 

• It is recommended to NOT wear both safety glasses and a face shield at the same time, as it can decrease your visual acuity. Only one or the other is required based on your Point of Care Risk Assessment. 

• Safety glasses, face shields and dental loupes must be rinsed, cleaned and disinfected according to manufacturer's instructions for use after each patient care appointment

• All facial PPE, including eye protection is removed by the arms/straps at the side/back of head to minimize the risk of cross contamination. NEVER grasp any facial PPE by the front surface when removing.

IPC Forms and Resources

When was the last time you reviewed the resources available on the axiUm Links Guide or Dentranet? Did you know that the most up-to-date versions of the School of Dentistry IPC Guidelines, IPC Infraction Reporting form, BBFE Process & Forms and the FFW ILI Screening form are all available on Dentranet and axiUm?

We are constantly updating and revising the shared resources that allow us to work and learn safely in our clinical, research and simulation environments. For this reason, it is a good idea to save the link to a document rather than download it. This way, you will always be accessing the current version. 

Fit for Work Screening Form (FFW)

Remember, we are still enduring a pandemic and this fall and winter is a particularly nasty one for cold, influenza and other respiratory viruses. Alberta Health Services still requires all healthcare workers to complete and submit a FFW form prior to each day you will be in Kaye Edmonton Clinic or any other School of Dentistry AHS location

3M Class 5 Comply SteriGage Issues

Recently we have had some staff and students report that the integrator strips that are placed inside of every cassette and every peel pouch have appeared to have variations in the black ink line that indicates if the item was subjected to all the correct parameters in the autoclave to sterilize the instrumentation within. We have reached out to 3M Scientific, the designers and manufacturers of the integrators, to help us understand why this has been happening and if there is a need for concern.

We have been reassured that if there is evidence of the ink having traveled into the accept zone (as seen in the table above) on the integrator strip, even if there are white lines or blank spots within the ink line, the items are in fact sterile.

Here at the School of Dentistry, we process a biological indicator test in every sterilizer load of instruments. When the sterilizer load is done, the instruments are held in the central sterilization unit until the results of the biological indicator test indicate the load has been sterilized. The biological indicator is the highest level of sterility assurance commercially available to us. Our instruments are only ever released for use in the Oral Health Clinic when we know for certain the biological indicator test shows that sterility was achieved. 

Remember to scrutinize each integrator from each package / cassette prior to using the instrumentation, to confirm that it is in the accept zone. If you aren’t certain of an integrator status, please take the integrator to Ronna in 8B-105Z or to any of our MDRD Techs in Central Sterilization for guidance. As always, if the integrator is obviously not in the sterile zone, the instruments should not be used. Instead, return them to the soiled dispensary and obtain new instruments for your patient care appointment. 

Remember to rest and recuperate this semester break. Take time to smile, laugh and pursue something for the pure pleasure of it! See you in 2023.

Have IPC Questions, Concerns or Positive Comments? Email dentIPC@ualberta.ca

Dr. Khaled Altabtbaei, IPC Officer

Ronna Richardson-Lozano, IPC Coordinator