Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa.
PLoS One. 2020 Dec 18;15(12):e0244352. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244352. eCollection 2020.
The scoping review examined the evidence related to infection control and transmission measures of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in a dental setting during this pandemic. Dental practitioners are normally guided in practice by set ethical principles, thus the researchers wanted to determine how these rules are managed during this pandemic.
A protocol specific for the objectives of this study was developed according to the criteria for a scoping review. Relevant databases (Pubmed, Scopus, Elsevier, Science Direct, Wiley), including online access to health/ dental organizations (World Health Organization/ American Dental Association), were searched to identify evidence which was restricted to the English language for the period 2015-2020. Predetermined eligibility criteria were applied, evidence was assessed and data extracted for each included article. Relevant outcomes assessed were: infection control measures, transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, such as modes and sources of transmission and the ethical principles related to the dental setting with a focus on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Searches yielded a total of 402 articles: 387 from electronic databases and 15 from other sources. Of these, 231 were unrelated to the objectives of the current scoping review. The full text of 69 studies was assessed for eligibility, of which 26 were finalized for inclusion following the objectives and inclusion criteria set for the scoping review. Most of the included articles were reviews, recommendations and guidelines for dentists. A narrative explanation of the pre-specified outcomes is reported for the 3 areas covered for this review. There is no clinical evidence available that can support the recommendations by individuals, dental organizations or health authorities related to the objectives of this review, but these may be considered as the much needed guidelines during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. A different ethical framework is required during a pandemic and these must be informed by evidence.
本次范围综述检查了在大流行期间牙科环境中与 SARS-CoV-2 病毒的感染控制和传播措施相关的证据。牙医在实践中通常遵循一套既定的伦理原则，因此研究人员希望确定在大流行期间如何管理这些规则。
根据本研究目的的标准制定了特定的方案，用于范围综述。相关数据库（Pubmed、Scopus、Elsevier、Science Direct、Wiley），包括对卫生/牙科组织（世界卫生组织/美国牙科协会）的在线访问，都被用来查找仅在 2015-2020 年期间发表的英语证据。应用了预定的资格标准，对每个纳入的文章进行了评估和数据提取。评估的相关结果包括：感染控制措施、SARS-CoV-2 病毒的传播，如传播模式和来源，以及与牙科环境相关的伦理原则，重点是 COVID-19 大流行。
搜索共产生了 402 篇文章：387 篇来自电子数据库，15 篇来自其他来源。其中 231 篇与当前范围综述的目标无关。评估了 69 篇研究的全文是否符合资格，其中 26 篇根据范围综述的目标和纳入标准最终被纳入。大多数纳入的文章是对牙医的评论、建议和指南。对综述涵盖的 3 个领域的预定结果进行了叙述性解释。目前尚无临床证据可以支持个人、牙科组织或卫生当局提出的与本综述目标相关的建议，但在前所未有的 COVID-19 大流行期间，这些建议可能被视为急需的指南。在大流行期间需要一个不同的伦理框架，这些框架必须以证据为依据。
