- Hospital-Acquired Infections
- Visiting Tips
- Hand Washing
- Infection Control Practices
- The ‘new normal’
- Restrictions on pets and plants
- Restrictions on food and drinks
- Cleanliness
Nosocomial or Hospital-Acquired Infections
Statistics show that about 5-7 per cent of patients admitted to hospitals develop a preventable and even deadly hospital-acquired infection such as
C. Difficile, MRSA and VRE.
These hospital-acquired infections are called nosocomial infections. It is important to monitor for these types of infections because we do not want them to spread between patients or from patient to visitor. Older patients, those with weak immune systems and patients who have been in hospital for a long time are highly vulnerable to these infections.
Infections are often transmitted through touch and we all play an important role in ensuring we keep ourselves and our loved ones healthy.
If you’re visiting a hospital, follow these important tips:
- If you’re visiting a patient or getting treatment, remember to clean your hands when you enter and leave the hospital and before eating. Soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub should be used.
- If you’re visiting a patient who has special isolation instructions posted by the door of his/her patient room, be sure to follow the instructions completely and all the time. These may include wearing a gown and gloves while you’re in the patient’s room, not touching the patient or equipment/furniture in the room, not using the patient’s bathroom, and washing your hands before and after putting on gloves.
- Patients – Ask your doctor, nurse, other health care professional and all visitors to clean their hands before touching you. It’s your right as a patient, so speak up.
Hand Washing
Proper Handwashing(High Quality PDF – 300 KB)Are you washing your hands properly? Follow these simple steps to ensure a clean result!
- Use warm running water and soap.
- Rub hands together briskly for 15 seconds (about the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday)
- Rinse hands thoroughly and dry with a clean paper towel.
- Use paper towel to turn off the tap.
Use these tips at home too!
Make sure you wash your hands:
- Before and after visiting a patient.
- After coughing or blowing your nose.
- After using the washroom.
- Before eating.
Waterless alcohol-based hand rub dispensers can be found throughout the hospital.
What Infection Control Practices are used?
We must continue to be vigilant with our infection prevention and control practices. We will all work to our fullest capacity to maintain a quality and safe patient environment.
We have taken many steps to enhance our practices based on the recommendations of the provincial Infection Control Resource Team. This team is available to hospitals to provide additional advice and support on outbreaks and control measures, and we greatly appreciate their assistance to ensure we were doing everything we could to bring an end to the outbreaks.
Some of the recommendations from the ICRT that were immediately implemented and remain in effect today included more intensive cleaning and enhanced communications to the frontline regarding hand hygiene and the use of personal protective equipment.
There are many “new normal” infection prevention and control practices in our hospitals. These new normal practices have been in place for several months now, and it is our commitment to embed these practices into our daily routine on an ongoing basis.
The ‘new normal’
Examples of what the “new normal” looks like in terms of regular infection prevention and control practices:
- We have a new trigger system that will enable us to quickly respond to suspected C. difficile cases with enhanced cleaning and patient isolation.
- Our cleaning practices related to C. difficile and other hospital acquired infections have been enhanced.
- There will continue to be regular hand hygiene audits of staff and physicians to ensure 100 per cent compliance with best practice. This means staff and physicians must clean their hands before and after every contact with a patient and the patient environment, as well as before an aseptic procedure and after body fluid exposure risk.
- There will be ongoing screening of ER patients, inpatients and outpatients, including those coming to clinics and for tests.
- We will continue to cover all equipment that has been cleaned with plastic covering. This will ensure staff use only equipment that has been thoroughly cleaned according to infection prevention and control standards.
- Our staff will continue to have daily huddles at the beginning of each shift to share any questions or concerns.
- Food and drink will be restricted in patient rooms unless it is for the patients.
- We have moved to genetic testing (PCR) for C. difficile; more accurate, detecting more cases.
- We have stopped the practice of cohorting patients.
- There are limits on movement of equipment between units.
- Increases in housekeeping resources in place during the outbreaks will be maintained.
- We have extended the use of sporicidal agents across the hospital, vs. use solely in patient bathrooms.
- Terminal clean – more intensive cleaning – has occurred across facilities; units with recurrence have been terminally cleaned again.
- Enhanced housekeeping audits and checklist.
- Antibiotic stewardship enhancements ongoing across our sites.
- Enhanced transparency and clear communication approach.
- Clear signage, hand hygiene stations, and overhead voice message concerning the outbreaks and need for hand hygiene.
Restrictions on pets and plants
The public is asked not to bring pets or plants to the hospital.
This restriction does not include service and therapy animals. The visitation of pets belonging to patients will be reviewed in by our Infection Prevention and Control department on an individual basis in compassionate circumstances.
Flowers and plants in the hospital are generally discouraged as per the provincial Infection Control and Resource Team recommendations. Flowers and plants are strictly prohibited in critical care areas such as the Intensive Care Unit, the Complex Care Unit, and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Animals and plants are sources that can transmit bacteria, and we hope people will understand that this measure is important to prevent the spread of infection.
Restrictions on food and drinks
Visitors are asked not to bring food or drink into the hospital to eat while visiting patients. The only people who should be eating or drinking in the patient rooms are the patients. If you do bring in food for your loved ones, please check in with the nursing station as is the usual practice because they may be on a special diet.
Cleanliness
If you are in the hospital and see any area that does not meet cleanliness standards, please call 905-378-4647, ext. 33500 immediately to ensure action is taken to rectify the situation. If you have any concerns or questions, please email us at scghospitality@niagarahealth.on.ca