Home > Resources > Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) > Diseases & Disease Agents > Question & Answer   TOP

Looking for guidance: Should dental students see patients with staph infections and possible MRSA? 

As a matter of policy, Ask OSAP does not offer medical advice. It is recommended that you consult with a qualified medical professional on these matters. It is also recommended that if your institution has an infection control committee or environment of care committee that these matters be presented to that committee.

Ask OSAP can provide you with some general information on these topics.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website does contain some general information pertaining to MRSA which can be accessed at the following links:
https://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/index.html ¹

https://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/community/patients.html ²

The American Dental Association (ADA) has some information on its website pertaining to MRSA which can be accessed at these links:
https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/m/mrsa ³

https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(14)65410-6/abstract ⁴

CDC’s Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings (2007) includes the following Appendix:

Appendix A: Type and Duration of Precautions Recommended for Selected Infections and Conditions Appendix A consists of an updated alphabetical list of most infectious agents and clinical conditions for which isolation precautions are recommended. A preamble to the Appendix provides a rationale for recommending the use of one or more Transmission Based Precautions, in addition to Standard Precautions, based on a review of the literature and evidence demonstrating a real or potential risk for person-to-person transmission in healthcare settings. The type and duration of recommended precautions are presented with additional comments concerning the use of adjunctive measures or other relevant considerations to prevent transmission of the specific agent. Relevant citations are included.

This document can be accessed at:
https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/pdf/guidelines/isolation-guidelines-H.pdf ⁵

The 2003 CDC guidelines for infection control in dentistry does offer guidelines for suggested work restrictions for healthcare personnel infected with or exposed to major infectious diseases in healthcare settings. That document can be accessed at:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5217a1.htm ⁶

Resources

1) U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). https://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/index.html Accessed on July 17, 2019.

2) U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For patients. https://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/community/patients.html Accessed on July 17, 2019.

3) www.mouthhealthy.org. MRSA. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/m/mrsa Accessed on July 17, 2019.

4) The Journal of the American Dental Association. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(14)65410-6/abstract Accessed on July 17, 2019.

5) U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2007 Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings. https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/pdf/guidelines/isolation-guidelines-H.pdf  Accessed on July 17, 2019.

6) Kohn WG, Collins AS, Cleveland JL, Harte JA, Eklund KJ, Malvitz DM, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Guidelines for infection control in dental health-care settings—2003. MMWR Recomm Rep 2003;52(RR-17):1-61. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5217a1.htm Accessed on July 17, 2019.

Back To Top