RESUMO
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Individuals can be exposed to the hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection through inadequately or improperly sterilized medical or dental equipment. The aim of this study was to detect HCV RNA in the dental setting in Alexandria, Egypt. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 100 samples collected from five dental clinics (A-E) in Alexandria. The samples were collected from critical, semicritical, and noncritical instruments during different periods of the day (morning, mid-day, end of the day). Samples were subjected to a reverse transcriptase-PCR for the detection of HCV RNA. RESULTS: HCV RNA was detected in 18% (18 out of 100) of the instrument samples tested. Two positive HCV RNA samples were collected from semicritical instruments in clinic B, whereas 16 positive HCV RNA samples were collected from clinic D (eight samples from critical, six samples from semicritical, and two samples from noncritical instruments). There was a statistically significant difference between clinics B and D in terms of the samples collected in the morning and those collected at the end of the day. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: HCV RNA as detected by PCR was found in a considerable percent of instruments' samples (18%). Most of the positive HCV RNA samples (16 out of 18 samples) obtained from instruments were among those collected from clinic D. This clinic used only glutaraldehyde as a method of sterilization. Therefore, proper infection control measures, including sterilization and disinfection should be strictly adopted.
