Infection Control Manual

Section II: General Policy Provisions

1. The School of Dentistry subscribes to the policy statement adopted by the American Association of Dental Schools, March 1991, which states, "Chief administrative officers of dental education institutions must establish and enforce written preclinical, clinical, and laboratory protocols to ensure adequate asepsis, infection and hazard control, and hazardous-waste disposal. These protocols should be consistent with current federal, state, and/or local guidelines, and must be provided to all faculty, students and appropriate support staff. To protect faculty, students, staff and patients from the possibility of cross-contamination and infection, asepsis protocols must include policies requiring the availability and use of gloves, masks, and protective eye wear by faculty, staff, and students in clinical situations and where appropriate, in preclinical situations."

2. All employed persons and enrolled students of the School of Dentistry, who are engaged in or may become engaged in patient care activities, shall be treated in a manner and shall conduct him or herself in accordance with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Policy on HIV-infected and HBV-infected Employees and Students, issued 8 April 1992, included as Appendix A of the Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan.

3. All dental personnel are ethically obligated to provide patient care with compassion and respect for human dignity. No dental personnel may ethically refuse to provide dental care solely because the patient has, or may have, an infectious disease, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), or hepatitis B infection.

4. All research personnel and clinical laboratory supervisors shall recognize their responsibility for implementing University guidelines to protect laboratory workers from hazards incumbent in handling human blood, secretions, specimens, tissues and materials contaminated with blood or secretions.

5. Hepatitis B or AIDS testing cannot be required for anyone except in the event of an exposure incident. For patients whose medical signs or symptoms are consistent with hepatitis B, AIDS, or other infectious disease, with or without associated medical history, appropriate referral for medical consultation and follow-up should be made.

6. Confidentiality of results of such testing and related diagnosis is essential and is the individual responsibility of each School of Dentistry employee and student who has access to this information. This information may be shared in confidence only with others providing direct health care to the patient (based on N.C. Public Health Law). When an HIV positive patient is referred to other health care professionals, the referring doctor is responsible for communicating the patient's medical status.

7. Notification of patients who have been treated by faculty, staff or students who have tested seropositive for AIDS or who have been diagnosed with AIDS, HIV infection, HBV infection or some other infectious disease, shall be conducted in accordance with the University policy issued 8 April 1992. (Appendix A of the Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan).

8. The School of Dentistry will carefully observe the infection control guidelines published by the U.S. Public Health Service, for preventing possible transmission of infectious diseases.

9. Directors of each clinical and laboratory unit are charged with responsibility for conducting annual evaluations for compliance with Infection Control Manual in their area of responsibility. Records documenting dates of evaluations and findings shall be maintained and submitted for Infection Control Committee review. Infection Control Concern Report forms will be available in each unit as a method for reporting possible problems with infection control procedures and policies. Patients, faculty, staff and students should submit these forms to the Chair of the Infection Control Committee for evaluation and management in conjunction with the Program Director.

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