Guiding Principles of Infection, Prevention
and Control
RTs are accountable for….
Knowing how infections are transmitted (i.e., The 6 Links in the Chain of Transmission)
Adhering to the current infection prevention and control guidelines for their practice setting (e.g., employer policies, OHA Communicable Diseases Surveillance Protocols, Public Health Agency of Canada Best Practice Documents, Public Health Agency of Canada Infection Control Guidelines, MOHLTC Emergency Planning and Preparedness)
Advocating for best practices in infection prevention and control in their workplace
Educating and modelling proper infection prevention and control practices for others
Monitoring changes to infection control practices and updating their practice accordingly (e.g., MOHLTC Health Bulletins).
Knowing their Immunization Status and keeping their immunisation records up to date
Ensure that there are processes in place to obtain an accurate travel history from patients/clients
Infection Control interventions are directed at:
- Controlling or eliminating agent at source of transmission
- Protecting portals of entry
- Increasing host’s defenses
DID YOU KNOW?
Institutional outbreaks involving staff have been reported, particularly with hepatitis A, cryptosporidiosis and norovirus.
Health Care-Associated Infections | Public Health Ontario
The principles necessary to prevent transmission of microorganisms from patient to patient, patient to healthcare worker (HCW) and HCW to patient, across the continuum of care include:
Consistent use of Routine Practices, including a Risk Assessment that takes into consideration the client/patient/resident infection status, the characteristics of the client/patient/resident and the type of care activities to be performed
Application of Additional Precautions, where indicated
Hand Hygiene and proper cough etiquette
Adhering to the principles of good occupational health and hygiene practices and reporting facility outbreaks, where appropriate
Ensuring appropriate immunizations are obtained
Avoiding consuming food or beverages in patient care areas (RPAP, 2012, p. 48)
Staying home from work when ill with symptoms of fever, chills, cough, malaise and/or nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
Organizational Accountabilities :
All health care settings should establish a clear expectation that staff do not come into work when ill with symptoms that are of an infectious origin and support this expectation with appropriate attendance management policies. Staff carrying on activities in a health care setting who develop an infectious illness may be subject to some work restrictions.
DID YOU KNOW?
Staff who consume food or beverages in care areas (client/patient/resident environment, nursing station, charting areas) are at increased risk for acquiring serious foodborne gastrointestinal infections.
References
Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). (2015). FDA proposes new criteria for surgical gowns. Retrieved from Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation website: www.aami.org/newsviews/newsdetail.aspx?ItemNumber=2650
Canadian Patient Safety Institute. (n.d.). Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Retrieved from Canadian Patient Safety Institute website: www.patientsafetyinstitute.ca/en/topic/pages/ventilator-associatedpneumonia-(vap).aspx
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Central line-associated bloodstream infections: Resources for patients and healthcare providers. Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: www.cdc.gov/HAI/bsi/CLABSI-resources.html
Critical Care Secretariat. (2012). Ventilator associated pneumonia and central line infection prevention toolkit. Retrieved from Critical Care Services Ontario website: www.criticalcareontario.ca/EN/Toolbox/Performance%20Improvement%20Collaborative/VAP%20and%2 0CLI%20Toolkit%20(2012).pdf
Immunize Canada. (2016). ImmunizeCA app. Retrieved from Immunize Canada website: http://immunize.ca/en/app.aspx
Loeb, M., Dafoe, N., Mahony J., John, M., Sarabia, A., Glavin, V., Walter, S.S. (2009). Surgical mask vs N95 respirator for preventing influenza among health care workers: A randomized trial. JAMA, 302(17), 1865- 1871. doi:10.1001/jama.2009.1466. Retrieved from http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=184819
PIDAC. (2012a). Best practices for infection prevention and control programs in Ontario (3rd ed.). Retrieved from Public Health Ontario website: www.publichealthontario.ca/en/eRepository/BP_IPAC_Ontario_HCSettings_2012.pdf
PIDAC. (2012b). Routine practices and additional precautions in all health care settings (3rd ed.). Retrieved from Public Health Ontario website: www.publichealthontario.ca/en/eRepository/RPAP_All_HealthCare_Settings_Eng2012.pdf
PIDAC. (2013). Annex B: Best practices for prevention of transmission of acute respiratory infection in all health care settings. Retrieved from Public Health Ontario website: www.publichealthontario.ca/en/eRepository/PIDAC-IPC_Annex_B_Prevention_Transmission_ARI_2013.pdf
PIDAC. (2014). Best practices for hand hygiene in all health care settings, (4th ed.). Retrieved from Public Health Ontario website: www.publichealthontario.ca/en/eRepository/2010-12%20BP%20Hand%20Hygiene.pdf
PIDAC. (2015a). Best practices for prevention, surveillance and infection control management of novel respiratory infections in all health care settings. Retrieved from Public Health Ontariowebsite: www.publichealthontario.ca/en/eRepository/Best_Practices_Novel_Respiratory_Infections.pdf
PIDAC. (2015b). Infection prevention and control for clinical office practice. Retrieved from Public Health Ontario website: www.publichealthontario.ca/en/eRepository/IPAC_Clinical_Office_Practice_2013.pdf
PIDAC. (2016). Tools for preparedness: Triage, screening and patient management for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infections in acute care settings. Retrieved from Public Health Ontario website: www.publichealthontario.ca/en/eRepository/PIDAC-IPC_Preparedness_Tools_MERS_CoV_2013.pdf
Public Health Agency of Canada. (2013). Canadian immunization guide. Retrieved from Public Health Agency of Canada website: http://phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/cig-gci/p03-work-travail-eng.php#a1
Public Health Agency of Canada. (2014). Canadian Tuberculosis Standards (7th ed.). Retrieved from http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/tbpc-latb/pubs/tb-canada-7/assets/pdf/tb-standards-tb-normes-prefeng.pdf
Public Health Agency of Canada. (2016). Summary of assessment of public health risk to Canada associated with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Retrieved from Public Health Agency of Canada website: www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/eri-ire/coronavirus/risk_assessment-evaluation_risque-eng.php
Public Health Ontario. (n.d.a). Chain of transmission and risk assessment: Glossary of terms. Retrieved from Public Health Ontario website: www.publichealthontario.ca/en/LearningAndDevelopment/OnlineLearning/InfectiousDiseases/IPACCore/Documents/CORE_Trainers_COT_and_RA_Module_Glossary_April _2014.pdf
Public Health Ontario. (n.d.b). Risk Algorithm to Guide PPE Use. Retrieved from Public Health Ontario website: www.publichealthontario.ca/en/eRepository/IPAC_Clinical_Office_Practice_Risk_Algorithm_PPE_2013.pdf
World Health Organization. (2015). Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Retrieved from World Health Organization website: www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/mers-cov/en/