Resumo

REIS, Sarah Christina Rodrigues Meira; RAMOS, Iara Júnia Marques; ZOCRATTO, Keli Bahia Felicíssimo  e  BRANCO, Kelly Moreira Grillo Ribeiro. The effects of dental instrument storage as regards the maintenance of sterility. Arq. Odontol. [online]. 2012, vol.48, n.2, pp. 89-95. ISSN 1516-0939.

Aim: To compare two environments (students' bins and cabinets of the Central Sterilization Material (CME)) commonly used by dental students in the storage of sterile materials and to describe their characteristics. Materials and Methods: Forty glass rods were used in an attempt to analyze the storage conditions of the sterile clinical material present in the two locations mentioned above. Of these, fifteen were stored in the bins and another fifteen in the CME cabinets. Each environment received five additional samples as positive controls. After 7 days of storage, the samples were collected for laboratory analysis. Both the temperature and humidity of the CME were measured using a Thermo-Hygrometer Clock. In addition, a structured questionnaire regarding the storage conditions of sterile clinical material was applied to 15 students from the 8th period of an undergraduate dental course. The data were assessed by means of uni and bivariate analyses, with a significance level of 5.0%. Results: The CME, of continuous and unidirectional flow, presented natural ventilation and coated wooden cabinets. The temperature ranged from 27.5ºC to 29.6ºC, with a humidity of between 56.0% and 65.0%. The majority of participants reported having stored sterile materials in the CME (60.0%), while 6.7% of the students reported that they had cleaned their own bins. The microbiological analysis showed the growth of the creamy and filamentous colonies, which proved to be predominant in both environments. Upon comparison, it could be observed that the growth of both colonies was higher in the bins, presenting a statistically significant difference (p<0.05). Conclusion: onsidering that a lesser growth of the bacterial colonies could be observed in the CME and that its physical structure is in line with the demands set forth by the Federal Dental Association, the location appeared to be more appropriate for the storage of sterile materials.

Palavras-chave : Product storage; Sterilization; Dentistry; Contamination.