INTRODUCTIONThe otorhinolaryngology department at Northwick Park Hospital uses the Tristel wipes system for cleaning nasendoscopes in the outpatient clinics. This system uses chlorine dioxide as its only disinfectant. The manufacturer claims the system provides safe sterilisation of nasendoscopes. However, there appear to be no reports in the literature to date that evaluate the efficacy of this system in a clinical setting. The aim of this study was to evaluate the 'in use' efficacy of Tristel wipes in decontaminating nasendoscopes and to identify any significant contamination between cleaning and usage. METHODS A total of 31 cleaning episodes were performed. Each cleaning episode included two swabs after cleaning the scopes, one from the tip and the other from the handle. Another two swabs from the same areas were also taken before application to the patient. The microbiology unit evaluated all swabs for bacterial, fungal and mycobacterial growth. RESULTS Overall, 123 swabs from 31 cleaning episodes were tested. None of the swabs taken from the tips (n=31) or handles (n=31) after cleaning with Tristel wipes developed any organism growth. Furthermore, none of the swabs taken from the tip of the scopes before using on patients (n=31) developed any growth. Of the 31 swabs taken from the handle before use, 3 developed significant staphylococcal growth. CONCLUSIONS In our study, the 'in use' efficacy of Tristel wipes in cleaning the scopes of bacteria, fungi and mycobacteria was 100%. Attention to hand hygiene and the use of gloves should be considered when handling the cleaned scopes to minimise the risk of contamination between cleaning and application to patients.
Extracted human teeth are routinely used for educational purposes in dental institutions. In recent years infection control guidelines have been revised due to the possibility of cross-contamination from these extracted teeth. This study was done to determine the efficacy of some commonly used methods for disinfection/sterilization of extracted human teeth.
Nuclear medicine(NM) imaging has played a vital role in the early diagnosis of disease in the recent decades. Although in the present time's conventional radiographs, Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT), Computed Tomography (CT), and other alike imaging modalities are being routinely used for diagnosis and treatment purposes in the head and neck region, NM has been in use only for certain oral and maxillofacial pathologies. NM is an impressive and influential imaging means which relies on metabolic and other physiological processes of tissues revealing accurate functional and biochemical aspects of tissues and help in precise diagnosis. Radionuclide imaging involves the use radioactive isotopes that emit gamma (γ) rays. The γ rays thus emitted are detected by a gamma camera and different planar images are formed and shows the location of the radionuclides in the body. The technique provides an early marker of the disease after allowing the measurement of tissue function in vivo. Even though NM is not used on day to day basis in the field of dentistry, the dental professional must acquire the requisite information about its various uses. This review is an attempt at making a dental professional familiar with the functioning of NM imaging in the oral and maxillofacial region.
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