Effective December 14th 2016, the Canadian Patient Safety Institute has archived the Infection Prevention and Control related New Approach to Controlling Superbugs Getting Started Kit. Though you may continue to access the Getting Started Kit online, please note that it will no longer be updated.
Infection prevention and control measures aim to protect those who might be vulnerable to acquiring an infection, both in the general community and while receiving care due to health problems. The basic principle of infection prevention and control is hygiene (World Health Organization definition, 2015).
You can successfully prevent and control infection with these five evidence-based infection control strategies:
- Establish an aggressive hand hygiene program
- Clean and decontaminate the environment and equipment
- Implement contact precautions for any patient infected or colonized with a superbug
- Perform methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant
Enterococcus screening surveillance on admission and at other times
- Regularly report superbug infection rates to frontline and hospital leaders
Please refer to either Public Health Ontario or the BC Centre for Disease Control for information regarding current evidence informed practice.