13Infection Control TribuneJune 4-June 10, 2012United Kingdom Edition 13 Infection Control Tribune Infection control Central sterilisation Andrew Smith asks readers to consider centralisation pages 14-15 Infection control Hands washing Study looks at behavioural trial page 16 Infection control Anti microbial stewards its importance in dentistry pages 18-19 Infection control Superbugs Research finds air currents responsible page 20 T he American Dental As- sociation has launched its newly revised ADA Prac- tical Guide to Effective Infection Control DVD and workbook. The materials are designed to provide guidance to den- tists and their staff about infec- tion control and occupational health and safety in the dental office, according to the ADA. The 40-minute DVD shows easy-to-follow steps to imple- ment infection-control tech- niques correctly, safely, and efficiently during clinical pro- cedures. The corresponding workbook provides more in- depth coverage of the various topics covered in the program. The workbook’s four sections include the fundamentals of infection control, disinfection and sterilisation, infection con- trol during clinical procedures, and special considerations. The guide includes the fol- lowing: • An expanded section on the safe handling and disposal of needles and other sharp instru- ments • Safety protocol in the event of a possible exposure to blood borne pathogens • How to wear and dispose of personal protective equipment, such as gloves, gowns, and masks • Infection control during ra- diographic procedures • A US continuing education (CE) test worth eight hours of CE credit • World Health Organisation hand-rub and hand-wash illus- trations • Self-assessment checklists, goal-setting worksheets, and unit review questions The workbook and DVD sells for $135 for ADA members and $202.50 for non- members. To order, visit www. adacatalog.org. DT ADA updates infection control guide R esearch presented at ID- Week 2012™ shows that a specific spectrum of ul- traviolet light killed certain drug- resistant bacteria on the door handles, bedside tables and other surfaces of hospital rooms, sug- gesting a possible future weapon in the battle to reduce hospital- associated infections. Researchers at Duke Univer- sity Medical Center and the Uni- versity of North Carolina Hospital System used short-wave ultra- violet radiation (UV-C) to nearly eliminate Acinetobacter, Clostrid- ium difficile or vancomycin-re- sistant enterococci (VRE) in more than 50 patient rooms at the two medical facilities. “We’re learning more and more about how much the hospi- tal environment contributes to the spread of these organisms,” said lead researcher Deverick J Ander- son, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at Duke and co-director of the Duke Infection Control Out- reach Network. In their study, the Duke and University of North Carolina re- searchers questioned whether UV-C could be utilised to elimi- nate three of the most problematic germs and improve the cleanli- ness of patient rooms. The study focused on general- medical and intensive-care units of the two medical centres and identified patients with infections from the targeted bacteria. After the patients were dis- charged, the researchers obtained multiple cultures from each of five specific locations in the hospital rooms and bathrooms - “high- touch” areas that included bed rails, remote controls and toilets. A special machine with eight UV bulbs mounted on a central col- umn was then positioned strategi- cally in each room and turned on for as long as 45 minutes to eradi- cate both vegetative bacteria and bacterial spores. Fifteen more cul- tures were taken from the same locations in every room, and the pre- and post-treatment bacteria counts were compared. The numbers of bacterial CFUs, or colony-forming units, fell precipitously. Fifty-two CFUs of Acinetobacter were seen before irradiation, but only 1 CFU after- ward - down 98.1 percent. As for VRE, the proportion decrease was nearly the same - 719 CFUs before and 15 after, a 97.9 percent drop. “We would never propose that UV light be the only form of room cleaning, but in an era of increas- ing antibiotic resistance, it could become an important addition to hospitals,” Anderson said. DT Ultraviolet Light Effective in Hospital Infection Control