PICNet announces new Network Director
We are very pleased to announce that Tara Donovan has accepted the position as Network Director for the Provincial Infection Control Network of BC, commencing in June. Tara comes to PICNet from Fraser Health, where she has been working since 2010 as the regional IPC Epidemiologist, and more recently as the Managing Consultant for IPC. She has gained strong leadership and management experience in her time at Fraser, and also as...
VCH video: glove removal and hand cream application
Vancouver Coastal Health has produced a short video on glove removal and hand cream application. These techniques can help prevent dermatitis. ...
RI Guidelines Revision: Request for Review
PICNet's Guidelines Steering Committee has been working on updating the 2011 Respiratory Infection Outbreak Guidelines for Healthcare Facilities. The draft revised guidelines are now ready for review by our Community of Practice. We ask that anyone who uses these guidelines, or thinks they will use them in the future, read the draft document and provide feedback via our feedback form. Download the draft revised guidelines Download the feedback form The deadline to submit...
Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (CARSS) 2017 Report
The following message is from Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Systems, Centre for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control, Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada Dear CPHLN Members, I am pleased to provide you with a copy of the Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (CARSS) - 2017 Report. The executive summary is now available on Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/drugs-health-products/canadian-antimicrobial-resistance-surveillance-system-2017-report-executive-summary.html This year’s report provides a snapshot of 2015 and 2016 antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and...
Antibiotic-related News Stories and Journal Articles
In the past month, there has been lots of news related to antibiotics, antimicrobial resistance, and the hunt for new developments to replace antibiotics. Here is a selection of news stories and journal articles you may find interesting: What is a "phage wrangler"? The hunt for a bacteriophage to attack antibiotic-resistant Burkholderia cepacia. News "Molecular pencil sharpener" releases antibiotic. News | Journal Boosting antibiotic potency with light: intracellular light-activated quantum dots (QDs) News...
Antibiotic Awareness Week: Resources
Antibiotics Awareness Week is Nov 13-19, 2017, and below are many resources you can use: The WHO has lots of great resources including posters, animated gifs, videos, articles, facts sheets, a quiz, and more...
New study: Nursing home staff often fail to change gloves
From Infection Control Today: The failure to change gloves is common among certified nursing assistants, and may be a significant cause of the spread of dangerous pathogens in nursing homes and long-term healthcare settings, according to a new study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Infection Control. Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are often the main providers of care in long-term care facilities (LTCFs), with significant patient...