With medical science constantly moving forward, so is our understanding of the role played by infection control within the surgery. Thanks to the numerous advances in this field over the past few decades and an increased awareness of pre-emptively decontaminating possible sources of infection before they spread, outbreaks of potentially deadly diseases such as typhoid, tuberculosis and smallpox have largely become a thing of the past. Cleaning and disinfecting our hands, equipment and work surfaces prior to treatment, as well as treatment of existing bacterial infection with antibiotics, has become standard procedure across the globe.
However, things have taken a turn in more recent years, with frequent improper or incomplete application of infection control measures giving rise to what tabloid newspapers feverishly refer to as the 'superbug'. As bacteria have been exposed to bactericidal agents and antibiotics, any microorganisms that survive exposure have gradually developed resistances. This resistance has then been passed to the next generation. With the majority of microorganisms demonstrating an astoundingly fast reproduction rate, strains exhibiting this immunity can grow to vast numbers in very short periods of time, leading to a new dominant form of the original.
Among the most commonly recognised of these new strains is MRSA, a catch-all term for several different strains of the staphylococcus aureus bacteria that have developed an extremely high resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics, such as penicillin and its numerous derivatives. Though MRSA is no more aggressive than its 'ancestor' and is generally responsible for only minor infections, surgical wounds or similarly exposed points of entry into the body offer the infection the opportunity to cause serious complications. Patients with already weakened immune systems are particularly at risk, where the infection can lead to even more serious and potentially deadly conditions.
With such a high level of risk posed by superbugs and other infections, effective infection control measures are more important than ever. Infection must be dealt with at the source before it is allowed chance to spread, with complete decontamination of the dental team's hands and arms, as well as all equipment and surfaces, providing the most effective preventive measure as outlined in HTM01-05 guidelines.
Routine practice decontamination according to the Health Protection Agency should include work surfaces within the surgery where equipment is kept, and any other surfaces within the practice such as those in the waiting room. If any surfaces are left contaminated, microbes can quite easily spread to all others, rendering all your infection control efforts futile.
The choice of products available to dental practitioners for this purpose is extensive and varied, however, it is of importance to select the most effective option given the highly adaptable nature of superbug microbes. Any solutions designed for cleansing surfaces should both clean and disinfect, as well as providing prolonged protection from MRSA, tuberculosis, hepatitis C and E.Coli, as well as all other high-risk opportunistic infections.
As new, more dangerous and tenacious pathogens adapt to resist treatment, so too must our means of combating them to ensure the safety of both patients and staff.