CDC DentalChecklist. The CDC DentalChecklist offers users a smart phone-based template to create personalized checklists to evaluate their infection control practices. The app helpfully prompts dental personnel on a range of safe practices. Users can evaluate policies and practices and take note of direct observations to ensure they are meeting safe care standards.
With the CDC DentalCheck you can:
- Create a new checklist
- Review edit or export results from all checklists
- Access guidelines and other resources
Click here to learn more about the DentalChecklist. (March 1, 2021)
New Practices Added to CDC's Infection Prevention and Control Practices for Safet Healthcare Delivery in All Settings. Two new standard practices have been added to the foundational infection prevention and control guidance document, formerly of the the CDC HICPAC website. The new standards are expected to translate to all settings. They include:
5c. Injection and Medication Safety: Prepare medications in a designated clean medication preparation area that is separated from potential sources of contamination, including sinks or other water sources.
5e. Minimizing Potential Exposure: Develop and implement systems for early detection and management of potentially infectious persons at initial points of patient encounter in outpatient settings and at the time of admission to hospitals and long-term care facilities.
Also added were:
1. The consideration for broader use of source control during periods of higher levels of community respiratory virus transmission to the section, Minimizing Potential Exposures, and
2. During periods of higher levels of community respiratory virus transmission, facilities should consider having everyone mask upon entry to the facility to ensure better adherence to respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette for those who might be infectious. Such an approach could be implemented facility-wide or targeted toward higher risk areas (e.g., emergency departments, urgent care, units experiencing an outbreak) based on a facility risk assessment.
The CDC notes that examples of potential [risk] metrics include, but are not limited to, increase in outbreaks of healthcare-onset respiratory infections, increase in emergency department or outpatient visits related to respiratory infections.
For further reading, visit Infection Control. (December 1, 2022)
What is Up with RSV? Over the last couple of months, many states have seen a surge in children and infants who have become ill and/or hospitalized due respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). These outbreaks are reportedly greater in number than previous years and have coincided with higher than typical influenza rates and SARS-CoV-2 - placing added strain on the nation's pediatric health systems.
So, why is this happening and how might it impact your practice? Read “This Is Our COVID”—What Physicians Need to Know About the Pediatric RSV Surge" to find out. For further reading on RSV, visit the CDC's webpage, "Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)". (November 22, 2022)
RDSP Critical Drug Shortage List Keeps You in Informed of Supply Chain Issues Impacting Essential Drug Availability. The Resilient Drug Supply Project (RDSP), a research project out of the University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRP), has begun tracking critical acute drug supplies to stem issues arrising from global supply chain issues. The project has mapped the supply chain for each of the 156 critical acute drugs identified as essential for patients, and has created an index of the reported drug shortages, last updated April 18, 2022. The project homepage features a dashboard to keep viewers aware about the issues and their resolution. Click here to view the "Critical Drug Shortage List". Click here to view the "RDSP Dashboard".
Information for Pediatric Healthcare Providers. A guidance resource for clinicians on caring for children during the COVID-19 pandemic, this webpage includes up-to-date information for clinicians that describes infections in children, testing recommendations, immunization and well-child care guidance and more. Click here to visit Information for Pediatric Healthcare Providers.
Information for Healthcare Professionals about Coronavirus (COVID-19), This go-to guide for healthcare professionals (HCP) working in clinical facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic provides recommendations on routine care as well as care for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. Highlights include the following:
Click here to read more. (Updated December 29, 2021)
Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have updated Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations in Response to COVID-19 Vaccination to recommend that staff experiencing COVID-19 symptoms receive a viral test as soon as possible, whether or not they have had the vaccine. The update follows the trending and highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 delta and omicron variants, including observation of breakthrough cases among vaccinated people. Other changes to guidelines impacting health care personnel working during the pandemic include the Interim Guidance for Managing Healthcare Personnel with SARS-CoV-2 Infection or Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and Strategies to Mitigate Healthcare Personnel Staffing Shortages. To read more on infection control updates, click here. (Updated December 30, 2021)
ASA and APSF Joint Statement on Elective Surgery/Procedures and Anesthesia for Patients After COVID-19 Infection. The American Society of Anesthesiologists and the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation updated their joint statement and clinical practice recommendation on elective surgery and anesthesia. The statement reflects the current state of evidence related to the timing of anesthesia procedures for patients who previously had a Covid-19 infection and the evaluation of patient risk factors, including previous Covid-19 infection. Click here to read the full summary. (March 29, 2022)
Oral Health Care Considerations of Long Covid. This JADA article presents information on how patients experiencing “long Covid” or prolonged symptoms following COVID-19 infection may need modifications to care to be seen safely. There has been little attention toward children experiencing long covid in the literature, but it has been observed to occur in 13% of child cases of coronavirus, according to the United Kingdom Coronavirus Infection Survey. The symptoms may be much like those seen in adult patients. “Long COVID and Oral Health Care Considerations” includes a handy table of signs and symptoms, medications, impact on oral health care intervention and treatment modification should your patients need it. Click here to view. (January 27, 2022)
Latest Updates to NIH COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines. “What’s New in the Guidelines” is a collection of recent revisions and updates of existing clinical guidelines for COVID-19 treatment. Meant to keep clinicians apprised of therapeutic guideline changes to offer optimal treatments to patients with COVID-19, the NIH COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel updates the site as new information on treatment develops. Click here to visit “What’s New in the Guidelines”. (January 27, 2022)
OSAP/DQP Best Practices for Infection Control in Dental Clinics During the COVID-19 Pandemic. The dental infection control leader published this well-timed resource for dentists who were re-opening their practices after states mandated the shut down of offices to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. It is a practical guide offering best practices, a practice checklist, companion resources and tools. To visit the guide, click here. (Updated July 21, 2021)
More Resources:
Guidance for Dentistry Workers and Employees, OSHA. Click here to view. (May 4, 2020)
Interim Guidance For Dentist Anesthesiologists Practicing In The Office-Based Setting During The COVID-19 Pandemic, SDA. Click here to view. (Updated April 14, 2020)