Personnel Protective Equipment: Forgotten Protocol, Invigorated by COVID-19

Authors

  • Namdeo Prabhu
  • Rakhi Issrani

Keywords:

Coronavirus Infections, Protective Devices, Masks, Patient

Abstract

Objective: To make the readers cognizant about the use of Personnel Protective Equipment (PPEs) and infection control practices which should always form a part of basic patient management and not arise with every emerging disease. Material and Methods: Authors personal clinical experiences and existing literature were summed up to infer relevant information related specifically to dentistry. A comprehensive review was done for the last 15 years in an attempt to explain the current state of understanding on the topic. Results: The authors have tried to compile the most probable reasons as to why PPEs have been a forgotten protocol, which can be enumerated as follows: decreased awareness, financial issues, boredom and lethargy, time constraints, unavailability, carelessness, and burnout due to long procedure and patient feeling discomfort/offended. Conclusion: COVID-19 being highly infectious, a dental clinic is a potential and genuine point of source for many new infections, and no confabulation is less to underline the importance of using PPEs during this pandemic or even otherwise.

References

Biradar SV, Narayan DP. Occupational hazards in dentistry – A review. Asian J Pharm Technol Innov 2018; 6(27):67-73.

World Health Organization. Rational use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/331498/WHO-2019-nCoV-IPCPPE_use-2020.2-eng.pdf. [Accessed on November 2, 2020].

Coulthard P. Dentistry and Coronavirus (COVID-19) – moral decision-making. Br Dent J 2020; 228(7):503-505. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-020-1482-1.

The New York Times. 239 Experts with one big claim: The Coronavirus is airborne. Available from: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/04/health/239-experts-with-one-big-claim-the-coronavirus-is-airborne.html?utm_source=nl_landingpage&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=covid_bytes_daily_newsletter. [Accessed on November 2, 2020].

Health and Safety Executive. Evaluating the protection afforded by surgical masks against influenza bio-aerosols: Gross protection of surgical masks compared to filtering face-piece respirators. Available from: https://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr619.pdf. [Accessed on November 22, 2020].

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Published

2021-11-15

How to Cite

Prabhu, N. ., & Issrani, R. . (2021). Personnel Protective Equipment: Forgotten Protocol, Invigorated by COVID-19. Pesquisa Brasileira Em Odontopediatria E Clínica Integrada, 21, e0263. Retrieved from https://revista.uepb.edu.br/PBOCI/article/view/733

Issue

Section

Short Communications