Clinical Experience, Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice of Turkish Pediatric Dentists during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background and Objectives: “Coronavirus Disease 2019” (COVID-19) is a critical public health problem that has affected all fields, including dentistry. The dental management of children has become even more difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current knowledge, attitudes and practices of Turkish pediatric dentists who have been providing dental treatments to children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: After receiving ethical approval, this cross-sectional study was conducted using the Google Forms online survey instrument. An online questionnaire link was sent to all the members of the Turkish Society of Paediatric Dentistry by e-mail and through social media. Statistical analyses were performed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square test; a p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 200 pediatric dentists participated in this study and most of them (82%) only performed emergency dental treatments, whereas 18.5% performed both emergency and routine dental practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. The vast majority (72.5%) of pediatric dentists prescribed antibiotics and analgesics to their patients who were not cooperative with non-pharmacological behavior management techniques. The findings of the current study showed that the Turkish pediatric dentists had a good level of knowledge about COVID-19, satisfactorily conducted most of the infection control measures before and after the dental treatments, and attached importance to the use of PPEs; however, infection control measures during the dental treatments could be implemented better. Conclusions: Along with all precautions, the vaccination of healthcare workers and requesting a recent test result from patients showing a lack of COVID-19 disease before dental appointments could be used as effective infection control measures. Additionally, pediatric dentists should continue to follow local and universal guidelines, and education programmes should be frequently implemented in order to keep their COVID-19 management strategies up to date.

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Biological hazards associated with microblading and evaluation of its infection control procedures and wound care

BCIT Environmental Public Health Journal ◽

10.47339/ephj.2018.56 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Emily Wong ◽

BCIT School of Health Sciences, Environmental Health ◽

Helen Heacock

Keyword(s):

British Columbia ◽

Infection Control ◽

Online Survey ◽

Wound Care ◽

Control Measures ◽

Years Of Experience ◽

Chi Square ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Infection Control Measures ◽

Bloodborne Pathogen

Background: Microblading is emerging as one of the fastest growing beauty trends, appearing in tattoo shops, hair salons, and even in private home studios. The procedure uses a tool with single blade to penetrate the upper layer of the dermis and deposit semi-permanent pigments to mimic hair-like strokes. This study compares the risks of microblading to those in tattooing and analyzes the similarities in order to determine the biological hazards associated with microblading. Currently, there is a lack of knowledge on microblading practices specifically, and the purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of infection control knowledge and practices in place, as well as the attitudes towards regulations in British Columbia. Method: Self-administered electronic surveys created on Google Forms were distributed to microblading establishments in B.C. through email. The survey assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of microbladers in B.C. through a series of questions regarding demographics, infection control, and wound care. A list of 130 microblading establishments were contacted and asked to participate in the online survey. Results: Among the 130 microblading establishments contacted, 41 agreed to participate. The majority of microbladers had a college certificate or diploma, 1-5 years of experience, and have taken a bloodborne pathogen course. Over 31% of the participants operated both in microblading as well as permanent makeup, 27% operated solely as microbladers, and 22% of the participants had both microblading and spa operations. The most prevalent form of training was a microblading course that lasted a week or longer, and 78% of the participants felt that there should be more training required for becoming a microblader. There was no association between the years of experience and level of pathogen knowledge according to the Chi square test (p=0.78), and no association between the attitude towards regulations regarding microblading and the number of infection control measures in place (p=0.38). However, there was a statistically significant association between taking a bloodborne pathogen course and knowing the correct bloodborne pathogens of concern. Conclusion: Microbladers in British Columbia are fairly new and thus only have 1-5 years of experience, and minimal training of week-long microblading courses. A majority of them feel that more training or certification should be required and that there should be more regulations regarding microblading. The results indicated that education and training provide the most knowledge rather than years of experience. This suggests that health authorities should focus on providing more access to education for microblading, such as offering a TattooSafe program for tattooing microblading, and permanent makeup, similar to FoodSafe, and developing more material to inform microblading fact sheets.

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Attitudes and practices of infection control among senior dental students at college of dentistry, university of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates

European Journal of Dentistry ◽

10.4103/1305-7456.119058 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 07 (S 01) ◽

pp. S015-S019 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Betul Rahman ◽

Sheela Balu Abraham ◽

Amna Mohammed Alsalami ◽

Fatima Eisa Alkhaja ◽

Shaikha Ibrahim Najem

Keyword(s):

Infectious Diseases ◽

Infection Control ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Dental Students ◽

Control Measures ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Infection Control Measures ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Control Procedures ◽

Students Attitudes

ABSTRACT Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate compliance, awareness and practices of infection control procedures among senior dental students at the College of Dentistry, University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Materials and Methods: The study comprised of 119 subjects of 4 th and 5 th year dental students. A questionnaire was developed with 25 open and closed-ended questions related to barrier techniques, vaccination status, infection control practices and awareness. This was distributed among the senior dental students and completed upon signing the consent form. Each questionnaire was coded to ensure the confidentiality of responses. Results: The questionnaire was distributed among 223 senior dental students at the University of Sharjah of which only 119 students (53%) responded. Compliance with the use of protective barriers was high with the exception of protective eye wear, utilized by a mere 27% of students. There was a significant difference between 4 th and 5 th year dental students′ attitudes (p < 0.05) regarding the treatment of patients with infectious diseases. Compared with 44.4% of the 5 th year students, 68.5% of the 4 th year students did not mind treating patients with infectious diseases. Owing to this, 61.9% of the 5 th year students suffered from non-sterile percutaneous and mucous membrane exposures compared with 44.6% of the 4 th year students (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Efforts are needed to improve attitudes, implement information and motivate students in the correct and routine use of infection control measures. With all infection control protocols already implemented in dental schools, the challenge remains on improving compliance with infection control recommendations.

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Evaluation of Cross Infection Control in Dentistry; A Patients’ Perception Study

Journal of The Pakistan Dental Association ◽

10.25301/jpda.304.249 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 30 (04) ◽

pp. 249-254

Author(s):

Ayesha Zafar ◽

◽

Samira Adnan ◽

Naseer Ahmed ◽

Maria Shakoor Abbasi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Infection Control ◽

Age Groups ◽

Cross Infection ◽

Control Measures ◽

P Value ◽

Dental Practice ◽

Dental Patients ◽

Infection Control Measures ◽

Validated Questionnaire ◽

Education Status

OBJECTIVE: To assess the perception of patients visiting a dental OPD in Karachi regarding cross infection control measures that should be taken in dental practice. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the OPD of Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine from January to August 2020. A total of 546 patients aged 20-75 years of either gender coming for routine dental check-ups were included in the study using non-probability convenience sampling. A well-structured and validated questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of patients regarding cross infection measures that should be present in dental practices. SPSS-25 was used to analyze the data. Descriptive statistics was used to calculate frequency and percentage of qualitative (gender, socioeconomic and education status, knowledge attitude and practice levels of patients) and quantitative variables (age groups). Chi-square test was used to detect the relation of patient's knowledge levels with potential factors like the age groups, gender, socioeconomic and education status. The p-value of (< 0.05) was considered as significant. RESULTS: Out of the total participants, 79.1% had good knowledge about cross infection control measures in dental practice. Majority of the patients (84.6%) agreed that dentists should wear gloves during treatment, though majority were of the opinion that a dentist can treat several patients with the same set of gloves. About 4.9% of the patients said that they ask the dentist to wear face mask and gloves while treating them, and only 3.3% said that they ask the dentist about sterilization of instruments. The knowledge level of patients showed variation with their education status but not with respect to socioeconomic status, age and gender. CONCLUSION: Although overall the patients visiting dental clinics had good perception and showed positive attitudes towards cross infection control, the dental health practitioners need to disseminate basic technical information about the infection-control practices required for safe dental practice to dental patients and the community at large. KEYWORDS: cross infection, knowledge, dentist, dental patients, perception

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Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Dental Patients Toward Cross-Infection and Economic Implications in View of Covid-19: An Online Survey

Journal of Advanced Oral Research ◽

10.1177/2320206820972250 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 232020682097225

Author(s):

Rhythm Bains ◽

Aseem P. Tikku ◽

Vivek Kumar Bains ◽

Promila Verma

Keyword(s):

Infection Control ◽

Correlation Coefficient ◽

Online Survey ◽

Cross Infection ◽

P Value ◽

Economic Implications ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Dental Clinics ◽

High Knowledge ◽

Knowledge Attitudes And Practices

Aim: To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices of the patients regarding cross-infection in dental clinics in view of COVID-19, and its economic implications. Materials and Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional online survey done using Google Forms tool which was shared amongst 501 participants via e-mail and various social media platforms. It consisted of 42 structured questions regarding sociodemographics (seven questions), knowledge of COVID-19 (seven questions), practices regarding COVID-19 preventive methods (five questions), knowledge regarding cross-infection in dental clinics (nine questions), attitudes toward infection in dental clinics, and increased cost of treatment due to added disinfection protocols (14 questions). All the associations were tested using the chi-square test and with the P-value set at <.05. The significance level was taken as α = 0.05; therefore, a difference or association with P-value <.05 was considered statistically significant. The linear regression model was used to relate demographics with the knowledge attitude practices items, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the correlation between knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Results: A total of 478 responses were assessed. 92.2% of the respondents had high knowledge regarding COVID-19, and only 48.1% had a high knowledge score regarding infection control in dental clinics. The respondents exhibited high scores for practice related to COVID-19 (83.9%) and attitude toward infection control in dental clinics (91.9%). Using the Pearson’s correlation coefficient, knowledge attitude practices variables showed a significant correlation amongst each other ( P < .001). Only 60% responded that extra infection control protocols will increase the treatment charges, and approximately 30% responded that they will not pay or were not sure of paying the extra charges. The proportion of respondents who were agreeing about paying the increase cost were independent of age ( P = .226), gender ( P = .328), education ( P = .085), and profession ( P = .121). Conclusion: A significant percentage of patients today have a lot of knowledge of COVID-19. Also, they have higher expectations than before from their dental health care providers regarding infection control.

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Assessment of Awareness and Knowledge on Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic among Seafarers

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9020120 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 120

Author(s):

Gopi Battineni ◽

Getu Gamo Sagaro ◽

Nalini Chintalapudi ◽

Marzio Di Canio ◽

Francesco Amenta

Keyword(s):

Age Groups ◽

Knowledge Score ◽

Educational Status ◽

Control Measures ◽

P Value ◽

Prevention Measures ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Infection Control Measures ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Novel Coronavirus

Background: The ongoing pandemic due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is becoming a serious global threat. Experts suggest that the infection can be controlled by immediate prevention measures. Sailing is one of the occupational categories more vulnerable to this virus outbreak due to the proximity of the working conditions. Objective: Awareness and knowledge assessments of seafarers towards the current epidemic is mandatory to understand the effectiveness and success of the infection control measures adopted by shipping companies. Methods: In this study, we presented an online questionnaire survey to determine the knowledge levels of COVID-19 among seafarers. The data were collected by self-reported survey, and analysis was done by the analysis of variance (ANOVA). The t-test was used to understand the knowledge attitude differences to COVID-19 among different occupational groups of seafarers, and the p-value ≤ of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Among 1,458 responses received, 92.82% had a college or university degree. The results reported that the mean COVID-19 knowledge score was 5.82 (standard deviation = 0.51, range 0–6), and the overall correct percentage was 97%. There was a statistically significant difference between age groups (F (4, 1453) = 5.44, p < 0.001) and educational groups (F (4, 1453) = 1.52, p < 0.001). The knowledge score was not significantly different across the educational status of the participants (F (2, 1455) = 1.52, p = 0.220). Conclusions: The present study highlighted good knowledge and behaviours among sailors about COVID-19. However, shipping companies need to come up with new campaigns to hold optimistic practices and suitable guidelines on ships, including cruise boats, to keep sea workers always alert and collaborative in mitigating the spread of COVID-19.

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COVID-19-Pandemie: Sicherheitsrichtlinien bei nicht-chirurgischen ästhetischen Eingriffen im Gesichtsbereich

Karger Kompass Dermatologie ◽

10.1159/000514080 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-2

Author(s):

Andrea Schulz

Keyword(s):

Infection Control ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Clinic Visit ◽

Control Measures ◽

The Novel ◽

Infection Control Measures ◽

Virtual Meeting ◽

Facial Plastic ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Aesthetic Procedures

Background: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is expected to last for an extended time, making strict safety precautions for office procedures unavoidable. The lockdown is going to be lifted in many areas, and strict guidelines detailing the infection control measures for aesthetic clinics are going to be of particular importance. Methods: A virtual meeting was conducted with the members (n = 12) of the European Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery Focus Group to outline the safety protocol for the nonsurgical facial aesthetic procedures for aesthetic practices in order to protect the clinic staff and the patients from SARS-CoV-2 infection. The data analysis was undertaken by thematic and iterative approach. Results: Consensus guidelines for nonsurgical facial aesthetic procedures based on current knowledge are provided for three levels: precautions before visiting the clinic, precautions during the clinic visit, and precautions after the clinic visit. Conclusions: Sound infection control measures are mandatory for nonsurgical aesthetic practices all around the world. These may vary from country to country, but this logical approach can be customized according to the respective country laws and guidelines.

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208 - Person-centred infection prevention and control during a pandemic: The Dementia Isolation Toolkit

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610221001411 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 33 (S1) ◽

pp. 11-11

Author(s):

Andrea Iaboni ◽

Hannah Quirt ◽

Steven Stewart ◽

Alisa Grigorovich ◽

Claudia Barned ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Infection Control ◽

Online Survey ◽

Moral Distress ◽

Well Being ◽

Control Measures ◽

Infection Prevention And Control ◽

Term Care ◽

Care Plans ◽

Infection Control Measures ◽

People With Dementia

Objectives:People working in long-term care homes (LTCH) face ethical dilemmas about how to minimize the risk of spread of COVID-19, while also minimizing psychological hardship and other harms of infection control measures on residents. The Dementia Isolation Toolkit (www.dementiaisolationtoolkit.com; DIT) was developed to address the gap in ethical guidance for LTCH on how to safely and effectively isolate people with dementia while supporting the personhood and well-being of residents. In this presentation, we will present the DIT and report on the results of a survey of LTCH staff in Ontario, Canada on their experiences isolating residents in LTCH and the use of the DIT in supporting person-centred isolation care.Methods:A link to an online survey was distributed to LTCH staff through provincial organizations and agencies as well as through social media and the DIT website. Inclusion criteria were LTCH staff working on-site at a LTCH since March 1, 2020, who had direct or indirect experience with the isolation/quarantine of LTCH residents. Results were summarized descriptively.Results:A broad sample of LTCH staff (n=207) participated in the survey, most of whom had experienced an outbreak in their LTCH. Dementia (96%) was the most important barrier to implementation of infection control measures in LTCH, followed by staff distress about the effects of isolation on residents (61%). Important facilitators for isolation included delivery of 1:1 activities in the resident’s room (81%) and designating essential caregivers to provide support (67%), while inadequate staffing levels were reported as a barrier (55%). 65% of respondents indicated some familiarity with the DIT, and of those who had used the toolkit, 62% found it helpful in supporting isolation care, particularly in developing care plans and making and communicating decisions. Of those who had used the DIT, 48% found it fairly or very helpful at reducing their level of distress.Conclusions:Isolation as an infection control and prevention (ICP) measure in LTCH environments can be harmful to residents and create moral distress in staff. ICP guidance and support of LTCH needs to address how to minimize these harms by providing dementia-specific guidance such as in the DIT.

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Post COVID-19 changes in the perception of the parents towards dentistry for their child

IP International Journal of Medical Paediatrics and Oncology ◽

10.18231/j.ijmpo.2021.030 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 155-160

Author(s):

Nahid Iftikhar ◽

Shalini Dixit ◽

Aditi Yadav

Keyword(s):

Infection Control ◽

Dental Treatment ◽

Pediatric Dentistry ◽

Behavioral Changes ◽

Control Measures ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Infection Control Measures ◽

Pediatric Dentists ◽

Dental Setting ◽

Almost All

The aim of the study is to evaluate the post COVID changes in the perception of the parents towards dentistry for their child/children.A cross-sectional questionnaire based survey was conducted among the parents of children <18 years of age to assess the behavioral changes in the parents after the COVID-19 outbreak towards pediatric dentistry. The survey was carried out with a sample of 5110 respondents.Majority of the parents had correct knowledge regarding the COVID-19 with increase in their anxiety level post COVID-19 outbreak. Almost all the parents were taking the measures regarding the hygiene of their children. Nearly half of the parents were not willing to take their children to the dentist even in the emergency dental condition due to the risk of encountering corona virus at the dental clinic.The majority of respondents lacked confidence towards dentistry, their treatment environments, and the infection control measures taken, and were worried about contracting COVID-19 infection from the dental setting. Parents, however, demanded better infection control measures during the SARS outbreak. From the results of our survey, it is imperative that dentists and dental specialist like pediatric dentists should offer more confidence building measures towards the patients & their parents, involving them in the dental treatment planning as well as decision making and providing them timely appraisal regarding the same.

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COVID-19 Knowledge among Healthcare Professionals in Gombe, Northeast, Nigeria: A Quick Online Cross-Sectional Survey

Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research ◽

10.9734/jammr/2021/v33i430839 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 105-114

Author(s):

Rabiu Ibrahim ◽

Abdulsalam Yakubu ◽

Ahmed Iya Girei ◽

Danladi Muhammed Umar

Keyword(s):

Infection Control ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Close Contact ◽

Healthcare Setting ◽

Control Measures ◽

P Value ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional

Aims: Despite control measures adopted to check the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, healthcare workers still face a serious threat to infection due to SARS-CoV-2 virus. Adherence to control measures by healthcare workers depends on their knowledge. This study aimed to determine the knowledge of COVID-19 and related infection control practices among healthcare professionals in Gombe State. Mythology: A cross sectional study was conducted among healthcare professionals in Gombe. Relying on our network with the healthcare professionals, 500 participants were recruited into the study using simple random sampling method. The data were collected using online questionnaire consisting of socio-demographic questions and 17questions based on knowledge and infection control practices related to COVID-19 disease in the healthcare setting adapted from a study in India. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 at uni-variate and bivariate levels with p value at < 0.05. Results: Close to three-fourth (72.1%) of the participants reported correct answer about knowledge of COVID-19, thus overall knowledge was found to be adequate for all subgroups. About four-fifth (78.9%) of doctors’ responses were correct. and the lowest (65.5%) was from CHOs, Laboratory assistants and health recorders. 43.7% of the participants could correctly define “close contact.” More than three-fourths of the participants knew the various infection control measures like rapid triage, respiratory hygiene, and cough etiquette and having a separate, well ventilated waiting area for suspected COVID-19 patients. However, less than half (47.8) of the participants were aware of the correct sequence for the application of a mask/respirator, and 62.2% of them knew the preferred hand hygiene method for visibly soiled hands. Conclusion: Regular health educational programs aimed at improving COVID-19 knowledge and infection control are needed.

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Strategies for Prevention of COVID-19 Transmission in Hospitals: a Nationwide Survey of Controversial Issues Related to Infection Control and Prevention in Korea

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1209219/v1 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Wooyoung Jang ◽

Bongyoung Kim ◽

Eu Suk Kim ◽

Kyoung-Ho Song ◽

Song Mi Moon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Infection Control ◽

National Level ◽

Nationwide Survey ◽

Control Measures ◽

National Guidelines ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Infection Control Measures ◽

Medical Institutions ◽

Hospitalised Patients ◽

Control And Prevention

Abstract Background: Infection-control measures against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) within a hospital are often based on expert experience and intuition due to the lack of clear guidelines. This study aimed to survey the current strategies for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 in medical institutions.Methods: In a systematic review of national-level guidelines, 13 key topics were selected. Six hospitals were provided an open survey between August 11 and 25, 2020, to assess their responses to these topics. Using these data, an online questionnaire was developed and sent to the infection-control teams of 46 hospitals in South Korea. The survey was conducted between January 31, 2021, and February 20, 2021.Results: All 46 hospitals responded to the survey. All hospitals operated screening clinics, while 89.1% (41/46) allowed symptomatic patients without COVID-19-associated symptoms to visit the general outpatient clinics. Most hospitals (87.2%; 34/39) conducted polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for all hospitalised patients. Moreover, 35 (76.1%) hospitals had preemptive isolation policies for hospitalised patients, of which 97.1% (34/35) released patients from isolation after a single negative PCR test. Most hospitals (76.9%; 20/26) allowed shared-room accommodation for patients who met the national criteria for release from isolation but showed positive PCR results with cycle threshold values above a certain threshold (34.6%; 9/26) or after a certain period that satisfied the national criteria (26.9%; 7/26). Conclusions: Various guidelines were being applied by each medical institution, but an explicit set of national guidelines to support these guidelines was unavailable.

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