Patient safety in Ontario acute care hospitals : Sécurité des patients dans les hôpitaux de soins de courte durée de l'Ontario : un regard sur les mesures de prévention des infections nosocomiales

These infections are among the most common types of reported adverse events in Canadian acute care facilities and are a major cause of morbidity and mortality.1–3 A variety of policies and practices can help provide safer care to patients and reduce the potentially adverse outcomes for patients, as well as the costs, associated with these infections. [...] The simple practice of handwashing and the implementation of a hospital infection surveillance system are two key patient safety initiatives that guide hospitals and staff in providing safer care to patients and preventing hospital-acquired infections. [...] The information will outline Hospital Report: Acute Care project, a joint some of the current standards for initiative of the Ontario Hospital Association and the Government of Ontario. [...] It is resistant to methicillin, the antibiotic commonly used to treat infections of Staphylococcus aureus, which is a bacterium commonly found on the skin and in noses of healthy people.5 • Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) is an antibiotic-resistant strain of enterococci, which are bacteria normally found within the bowel and female genital tract.6 VRE can lead to infection of the urinary tr [...] An infection • Adhere to international, federal and control practitioner (ICP) and a physician trained provincial and territorial infection in infection control are key requirements for a control guidelines hospital’s infection control program.30–32 ICPs are • Deliver education and training on typically health care professionals with infection hand hygiene to staff, service prevention and control