Virginia Research Day 2022

Medical Student Research Cl inical

13 Changes In Disinfectant Practices In Dental Clinics Located In Illinois And Pennsylvania Due To The COVID-19 Pandemic

Trent Kite; Janvi K. Patel; Alister Lowe; Theresa J. McCann; Terry C. Hrubec Corresponding author: Tkite@vt.vcom.edu

VCOM Virginia

comparison of 29 health care metrics across the 50 states. Dental offices in these states were contacted and surveyed about changes in disinfectant product use within different areas of their practice including the waiting area and patient rooms. We hypothesize that QAC disinfectants utilization has increased in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Paired t-tests or non-parametric equivalents will be used to compare changes in disinfection practices due to COVID-19. This study is part of an ongoing project to assess changes in disinfection practices nationwide.

markers of inflammation and inhibition of mitochondrial function. QACs also cause neural tube birth defects, male and female infertility, and alter macrophage and neutrophil function in animals. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the utilization of QACs in the home has been rising. One might deduce from this trend that a similar increase in QAC usage has been noted in the healthcare setting. Given the likelihood of increased use of disinfectants in healthcare facilities, it is probable that workers have increased exposure to these potentially harmful chemicals. Dental offices are unique in that patients must remove their masks to be treated, which puts individuals at a higher risk for transmission of the virus. This study aims to assess the changes in disinfection products and procedures in dental healthcare settings of Illinois and Pennsylvania in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These states are representative of the country based on

Dental healthcare professionals utilize chemical disinfectants daily. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic required changes in disinfection practices. SARS-CoV-2 can persist on surfaces for up to nine days, requiring vigilant disinfection of communal surfaces. Of the disinfecting products listed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency that are effective against SARS-CoV-2, over half contain a Quaternary Ammonium Compound (QAC) as an active ingredient. Since their discovery in 1915, the use of QAC containing products has increased and are employed in products such as: preservatives, sanitizers, emulsifying agents, and surface disinfectants. Though long believed to be harmless, QAC exposure has been linked to asthma and contact dermatitis in humans. Additionally, a recent study found that 80% of the population contains QAC residues in their blood which correlated in a dose dependent manner with increasing

The study is IRB exempt and funded in part by VCOM.

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