Provincial Progress on Infection Control

March 22, 2007
Ministry of Health

  • The Provincial Infection Control Network (PICNet) was created by the Province in 2005. PICNet leads provincial infection control efforts by:
    • Supporting ongoing training and the exchange of best practices information through the collaboration of all health authorities and other infection control professionals.
    • Creating respiratory outbreak prevention and control guidelines, for infections caused by various viruses and bacteria for all health settings.
    • Developing a proposal for a provincewide surveillance program for surgical site infections that could eventually be applied to all health-care-associated infections.
    • Developing a surveillance protocol for Clostridium difficile-associated disease in acute care facilities.
    • Updating provincial guidelines for antibiotic resistant organisms, such as MRSA.
  • B.C. health authorities have adopted the six national Safer Healthcare Now program initiatives, which include three measures aimed at infection control. Under this program:
    • BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre have achieved an over 64 per cent reduction in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). VAP is a
    • potentially fatal complication for about one-third of patients who get the disease. Health-care facilities are implementing a set of evidence-based interventions in all patients requiring a central line (an IV into a major blood vessel).
    • Hospitals are also employing new interventions for all surgical patients to help prevent surgical site infections and deaths.
  • An independent 2006 audit of cleaning practices within health-care sites showed that overall health authority scores exceeded 85 per cent. All health authorities also carry out their own internal cleanliness audits on a regular basis.
  • The “Do Bugs Need Drugs” campaign, now in its second year; works to counter the rise in antibiotic-resistant organisms by educating both the public and health-care professionals on the appropriate use of antibiotics.

Health Authorities:
    Vancouver Coastal Health:

  • An online infection control training module is mandatory for employees, medical staff and all residents/students working in VCH facilities.
  • There have also been substantial enhancements to the reporting of infection control via the Health Authority Medical Advisory Committee (HAMAC) since the report interviews were conducted.
  • An aggressive vaccination campaign in the Downtown Eastside this fall helped to manage an outbreak of invasive pneumonia.

Vancouver Island Health Authority

  • An Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Plan through 2010 has been adopted, and identifies integration across the region as key. The IPC program budget has increased by $500,000, and a program manager, three infection control practitioners and an associate medical director were added.
  • A two-month campaign targeted to staff with direct patient contact reinforced the importance of hand-hygiene as the number one defence against the spread of illness.
  • A targeted campaign against C. difficile in Nanaimo reduced infection rates from 19 per 1,000 admissions to less than five per 1,000 admissions.

Fraser Health

  • Fraser Health has undertaken an extensive and comprehensive hand-hygiene education campaign, which is currently underway.
  • Fraser Health went through a redesign of its Infection Control Program in 2005, which resulted in a new comprehensive integrated regional service delivery model for the Infection Control and Prevention Program.
  • Fraser Health undertakes a number of surveillance programs related to health-facility acquired infections. These include, but are not limited to, MRSA, CDAD and GI outbreaks.

Interior Health

  • Interior Health hired 10.5 new Infection Control Practitioners dedicated to infection prevention and control in all facilities across the region.
  • Interior Health offers all infection control staff ongoing training, follow-up education sessions, and mentoring by experienced practitioners.
  • Ongoing region-wide staff education in each facility reinforces current best practices and newly emerging issues.

Northern Health

  • NH has established new surveillance mechanisms for MRSA, VRE, extended spectrum betalactamase, C. difficile and targeted surgical site infections.
  • NH has established an Infection Prevention and Control Practitioner Council to give practitioners better input, develop consistency of practice and mentor new infection control practitioners.
  • New positions to better support infection prevention and control data are in place, including an infectious disease internal medicine specialist.

Provincial Health Services Authority

  • A new PHSA Provincial Infection Prevention and Control Coordinated Services office was created, and a strategic plan for PHSA infection control services has been developed.
  • Riverview Hospital has implemented a comprehensive infection control software system for tracking infections.
  • Forensic Psychiatric Services has hired an infection control practitioner.
  • The BC Cancer Agency is supporting secondment of a second nurse for training as an infection control practitioner.