Decontamination and Infection Control DENT4022

  • Academic Session: 2024-25
  • School: School of Medicine Dentistry and Nursing
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: No
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No

Short Description

This course will provide underpinning knowledge of relevant basic and applied microbiology to inform study of the principles and practice of infection control and instrument decontamination in modern healthcare, with particular reference to dentistry.

Timetable

Weekly online lectures and live tutorial sessions, delivered throughout Semester 2.

Requirements of Entry

Successful completion of BDS1 in academic session 2020-21

Excluded Courses

None.

Co-requisites

None.

Assessment

Online MCQ test covering a range of course material, derived from PeerWise activities (30%)

Students will submit a 2000 word essay covering in-depth critical discussion of selected course topics (70%) at the end of the semester.

Course Aims

The aim of the course is to offer participants an opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of the principles and application of microbiology, as related to current procedures for preventing spread of infection in clinical environments, with particular relevance to dentistry.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Explain the 'chain of infection' and the varying modes of transmission of microorganisms.

2. Define the burden of disease caused by healthcare acquired infections.

3. Explain the methods used in clinical practice to disrupt the chain of transmission and thereby reduce the risk of healthcare acquired infections.

4. Identify appropriate procedures for instrument decontamination and explain the reasons for selecting and applying them.

5. Assess the impact of breakdowns in accepted infection control practices.

6. Critically evaluate the risks of transmission of blood-borne viruses in the clinical setting, including performance of exposure- prone procedures by infected health care workers.

7. Discuss the implications of new and emerging infections for clinical practice, using SARS-CoV-2 as an exemplar.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.