Infection control: its evolution to the current standard precautions.
BACKGROUND
The use of appropriate infection control precautions to protect against transmission of bloodborne and other occupational microbial pathogens has become a routine component of health care provision. Evolution and revision of recommendations continues to be based on updated scientific information, as well as documented and inferred clinical applications of new knowledge. In addition, surveillance of occupational risks in medical treatment settings often has served as a basis for subsequent disease prevention recommendations for dental care.


METHODS
Guidelines designed to protect dental professionals and their patients have focused on bloodborne pathogens since the first published American Dental Association recommendations in the 1970s. Subsequent statements developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the ADA and other organizations during the past 30 years also have addressed prevention of other infections, transmitted by either direct or indirect contact with a variety of potentially infectious body fluids.


RESULTS
Review of the major features of these recommendations provides an appropriate framework to consider current guideline revisions. The success of long-standing universal precautions, or UP, against bloodborne infection has been augmented with the incorporation of body substance isolation, or BSI, practices into the infection control protocol designated "standard precautions." Combination of the major tenets of UP with the BSI systems routinely employed in acute care facilities affords all health care professionals the means of preventing a spectrum of bloodborne, respiratory, contact and other potential exposures during provision of patient care.


CONCLUSIONS
As infection control recommendations for dentistry are updated this year, they undoubtedly will include guidelines expanding previous UP to provide expanded protection for dental professionals in the multiple types of nonacute treatment settings in which routine treatment is provided.
Molinari
John A
JA
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, Mich. 48219-0900, USA. molinaja@udmercy.edu
D000571:American Dental Association; D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D003797:Dental Staff; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D019552:Infection Control, Dental; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000517:prevention & control; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control; D010356:Patient Isolation; D014481:United States; D016635:Universal Precautions