IPC Update

Jan. 24, 2023 | Health, Safety & Environment Coordinator

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Dear Students, Faculty & Staff,

Flushing Dental Unit Waterlines (DUWL)

Flushing DUWL prior to setting up for patient care is a critical step in ensuring that our patients are not exposed to pathogens that may have grown in the stagnant water sitting in the water lines when the dental chair is not in use. It is the operating clinicians’ (student, grad student, staff/faculty member) responsibility to ensure this is done prior to setting up for patient care in any clinical session. This activity can be delegated to a colleague but it is ultimately the operator who is responsible for ensuring that it has been completed. Failure to perform DUWL Flush prior to beginning patient care is an IPC infraction and should be reported.

Please view How To Flush DUWL for Patient Care. If you have questions about how to flush DUWL, please approach any of our dental assistants or the HSE Coordinator and we will be happy to show you how.

Fit For Work Screening and Professionalism

As healthcare providers, we have an obligation to provide a safe environment for our colleagues and our patients and to follow best practices. In 2020, when the pandemic was declared, we began using a Fit for Work Screening form to ensure that our students, faculty and staff were not attending any clinical location while displaying Influenza-Like-Illness (ILI) core symptoms. 

We are all still required to submit a FFW each day we will be working/learning in any AHS location. For every day, not just the days you are reporting ILI symptoms.

Although all provincial and institutional restrictions have been withdrawn, we still have a professional responsibility to act in a manner that protects the health of our colleagues and patients, and comply with the provincial regulator. We urge you to stay home if you are experiencing or displaying any obvious new-to-you and/or worsening ILI symptoms. 

In the event that you are in any School of Dentistry location and you are exhibiting ILI symptoms, you will be strongly encouraged to go home until such time as your ILI symptoms have resolved*. 

*Resolved symptoms means that you have not had a fever in the 24 hours immediately preceding your attendance (without using fever reducing medications) AND your ILI symptoms are gone entirely OR have improved significantly, AND you feel well enough to participate in your assigned activities that day. 

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

Sincerely,
Dr. Khaled Altabtbaei, IPC Officer
Ronna Richardson-Lozano, IPC Coordinator