Assessment of infection control in oral radiology during the COVID-19 outbreak: An international collaborative study.

Purpose: In the context of COVID-19, studies evaluating the adherence of dentists and dental students to infection control are relevant due to their high occupational exposure and risk, as well as their responsibility for disseminating information and good practices. This study evaluated the adherence of dentists and dental students to infection control in the oral radiology field in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic on different continents. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional observational study involved individuals who performed intraoral radiographic examinations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Questionnaire on Infection Control in Oral Radiology was administered virtually using a Google Form. Participants from different continents (the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Oceania) were recruited. Data were subjected to descriptive analysis and simple and multiple binary regression (5%). Results: There were 582 valid answers, and 68.73% of the participants were from the Americas, 18.90% from Europe, and 12.37% from Asia. The median score for infection control protocols was 94 points for dental students and 104 points for dentists, and participants below the median were considered to have low adherence to infection control in oral radiology. Low access to infection control was found for 53.0% of dentists in the Americas, 34.0% from Europe, and 26.9% from Asia. Conclusion: The adherence to infection control protocols in oral radiology was low even in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results may help improve the awareness of students and professionals, since oral radiology routines have the potential for transmitting COVID-19.

Incidental finding of bullous concha by cone beam computed tomography / Hallazgo incidental de concha bullosa por tomografía computarizada de haz cónico

Abstract This study aimed to describe the imaging aspects of a concha bullosa discovered incidentally by means of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging. A female patient underwent a CBCT exam, and a bilateral extensive pneumatization of the middle concha was verified, presenting a larger dimension of the right side and a deviated septum. The patient reported nasal obstruction and loss of smell. The CBCT for covering the maxillofacial region allowed the discovery of this incidental finding, allowing the patient to be referred for appropriate treatment.

Resumen Este estudio tuvo como objetivo describir los aspectos imaginológicos de una concha bullosa hallada incidentalmente por medio de imágenes de tomografía computarizada de haz cónico (TCHC). Una paciente de sexo femenino fue sometida a examen de TCHC y se verificó una neumatización extensa bilateral de la concha media, presentando una mayor dimensión del lado derecho, asi como desvío del tabique. El paciente refirió obstrucción nasal y pérdida del olfato. La TCHC de la región maxilofacial permitió localizar este hallazgo incidental, permitiendo derivar al paciente para el tratamiento adecuado.

Development and validation of a questionnaire to evaluate infection control in oral radiology.

OBJECTIVES: To create and validate a questionnaire to evaluate infection control in oral radiology. METHODS: The questionnaire was developed after review of the literature, which included published articles and the biosafety protocols available from healthcare agencies. The initial version of the questionnaire was composed of 14 multiple choice questions and was divided into 3 domains on handwashing, disinfection/protection of surfaces and disinfectant used. Content validity was assessed by two expert committees, which reviewed the content and scope of the questionnaire and the relevance of each item, respectively. Reliability was evaluated using test-retest and internal consistency methods with 115 undergraduate dentistry students. Construct validity was assessed using the known-groups technique and factor analysis. The known-groups technique involved 641 undergraduate dentistry students, 20 PhD students and 15 oral radiology professors. In the factor analysis, 3 radiology technicians also participated in addition to the 641 undergraduates, 20 PhD students and 15 oral radiology professors. RESULTS: The content validity results were found to be satisfactory to excellent for the ordinal variables (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.722-1.000) and good to great for the yes/no questions (kappa = 0.662-0.913) in terms of reliability and good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.88). After a factor analysis, some questions were excluded, and the questions were grouped into new domains. Significant differences were observed between answers from different groups. The final version of the questionnaire was composed of nine domains. CONCLUSIONS: The questionnaire created was found to exhibit good psychometric properties for assessing infection control in oral radiology.

Development of the portuguese version of the instrument for assessing hygiene - HI23 / Desenvolvimento da versão em português do instrumento para avaliação em higiene- HI23

Hand hygiene is part of standard precautions and it has been emphasized that education of this practice depends on the individual's experience in general hygiene. The Hygiene Inventory (HI-23) assess the domains General Hygiene, in the fields of Hands, Personal, Household and Food. Aim: To make the transcultural adaptation of the HI-23 scale for Portuguese­Brazil and to investigate and describe the hygiene behavior according to the HI-23 scale among dental students. Material and Methods: The cross-cultural adaptation process consisted in five steps: two translations, two back translations, review committee, pre-test with a population sample, and reproducibility and reliability of the instrument adapted. For the intra-examiner reproducibility it was applied kappa statistics. The statistical Cronbach's alpha verified the reliability of the HI-23 scale adapted to Portuguese. The adapted instrument was applied to 292 students of Dentistry from 1st to 5th year of graduation from a Faculty of Dentistry. Results: There was good reproducibility (0.43≥κ≥0.81) and good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.75) for the questions of the questionnaire. The adapted instrument applied among academics, showed that students have good and adequate hygiene pattern for most questions, except for the hygiene in the preparation of food and utensils used to prepare them, in the time spent washing hands, and cleanliness regarding the exchange of clothing (pants/skirt). Conclusion: The transcultural adaptation of the instrument for the Brazilian version was successfully obtained. The instrument can be safely applied to measure the profile of hygiene among professional of the health area.

A higiene das mãos é parte das precauções padrão e tem sido enfatizado que a educação dessa prática depende da experiência individual em higiene geral. O Inventario em Higiene (HI-23) avalia os domínios Higiene Geral, Mãos, Pessoal, Doméstica e na Alimentação. Objetivo: Realizar a adaptação transcultural da escala HI-23 para o português-Brasil e investigar e descrever o comportamento em higiene segundo o HI-23, entre acadêmicos de Odontologia. Material e Métodos: O processo de adaptação transcultural consistiu em cinco etapas: duas traduções; duas retrotraduções, comitê de revisão, pré-teste com uma amostra da população alvo, reprodutibilidade e confiabilidade do instrumento adaptado. Para a reprodutibilidade intraexaminador foi aplicada a estatística kappa. A estatística alfa de Cronbach verificou a confiabilidade da escala HI-23 adaptada para o português. O instrumento adaptado foi aplicado a 292 estudantes de Odontologia do 1º ao 5º ano do curso de graduação de uma Faculdade de Odontologia. Resultados: Houve boa reprodutibilidade (0,43≥k≥0,81) e boa consistência interna (alfa de Cronbach=0,75) para as perguntas do questionário. O instrumento adaptado aplicado entre os acadêmicos, mostrou que os estudantes possuem um padrão de higiene bom e adequado para a maioria das questões, com exceção da higiene no preparo de alimentos e utensílios utilizados para prepará-los, no tempo gasto para lavagem das mãos e no asseio quanto a troca de vestimenta (calça/saia). Conclusão: A adaptação do instrumento para a versão brasileira foi obtida com sucesso. O instrumento pode ser aplicado com segurança para medir o perfil em higiene entre profissionais da área da saúde.