RELEASE — KFL&A Public Health and a local dentist (in Kingston, Ontario) are working together to contact patients about a potential risk of bloodborne infection.
Patients of Dr. K. Luco Dentistry Professional Corporation who received treatment between January 1, 2010 and January 16, 2019 are being advised to make an appointment with their health care provider to discuss testing for bloodborne infections, specifically hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
On January 15, 2019, KFL&A Public Health received a complaint from a member of the public about infection prevention and control (IPAC) practices at Dr. K. Luco Dentistry Professional Corporation, Unit 2, 760 Highway 15 in Kingston, Ontario. KFL&A Public Health investigated the IPAC complaint on January 16, 2019 and found that there were times when proper cleaning and proper sterilization of dental instruments did not occur. Improperly cleaned and improperly sterilized instruments can spread infectious diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV.
At the time of this release, KFL&A Public Health is not aware of any cases of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or HIV transmission at the dental clinic and believes the risk of infection at this clinic is low. “While the risk of infection at this clinic is believed to be low, the risk to an individual patient depends on the frequency and type of procedures that were performed. As such, KFL&A Public Health recommends that all patients who had a procedure at this dental clinic during the above noted dates, make an appointment with their health care provider to discuss testing,” said Dr. Kieran Moore, Medical Officer of Health, KFL&A Public Health.
Immediately following the inspection on January 16, 2019, KFL&A Public Health issued an order to close the clinic and provided Dr. Luco with a list of requirements for compliance (things that had to be corrected) as per the Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee (PIDAC) standards. A final inspection was completed on February 4, 2019. At that time, the dental clinic met PIDAC standards and as a result, the order that was issued by KFL&A Public Health is no longer in effect.
KFL&A Public Health mailed letters to patients on Tuesday, February 12. The list of patients who have been mailed a letter is based on patient contact information provided to KFL&A Public Health by the dental clinic. If you were a patient at the clinic during the specified time period and have not received a letter, please visit KFL&A Public Health’s website at kflaph.ca/IPACLapse to download and print a copy of the patient letter, laboratory requisition, and letter for health care provider.
More information, including the IPAC Lapse Report, fact sheets regarding hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV, and a detailed question and answer section related to this IPAC lapse, is available on KFL&A Public Health’s website at kflaph.ca/IPACLapse.
Release and image: KFL&A Public Health
