Legionella, controle na Inglaterra (Dentistas)

British Dental Journal 210, 386 (2011)
Published online: 22 April 2011
Monitor your Legionella control
It has only recently come to light that the water services and the associated dental equipment for many dental surgeries have escaped the important attention of Legionella Control in the UK. A selection of findings from available studies show why these controls should be put in place:

•Legionella pneumophila was detected in 86.7% of the dental units at the beginning of the working day
•Thirty-three percent of 34 dental surgeries had Legionella bacteria
•Experts stress that the microbial presence in dental unit water may be a real threat to medically compromised patients (the elderly, immune-suppressed, and HIV-positive patients).


Chapter 19 of the HTM 01-05 memorandum devotes itself primarily to Legionella and states:

•Risk Assess
•Provide control measures
•Monitor your control measures, define those responsible, and ensure adequate training is carried out


In an age where inadequate infection control and prevention in healthcare facilities is seldom absent from the media, it is vital that dental healthcare professionals have the relevant controls in place.