From CBC News: A Utah man who became the first person in the continental U.S. to die after being infected with the Zika virus passed it to a (family member) caregiver. The man who died in late June caught the virus while travelling abroad to an area where mosquitoes are known to spread Zika and had an unusually high level of the virus...
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. To celebrate this theme of 2016’s National Infection Control Week, Infection Control Professionals: The Core of Infection Prevention and Control, all the BC Health Authorities are ran features or news stories about their IPAC. (Although we’d like to add that at PICNet, we believe everyone is at the core of infection prevention!) You can read about what each of the health authorities...
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[…] greatest number of mammal species. “Biodiversity begets biodiversity,” Han said. “That pattern is sort of biogeographical dogma.” Instead, the number of zoonoses was no greater near the equator than it was anywhere else in the world. Indeed, one of the geographic hot spots Han identified was a band across the sparsely populated global subarctic. Although there were relatively few reservoir species in...
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General Infection Prevention & Control Practices Explore general infection prevention and control (IPC) resources, including routine practices, additional precautions, urinary tract infections, wound care, personal protective equipment (PPE), IPC programs, pandemic preparedness, and more from other jurisdictions. LEARN MORE Hand Hygiene Discover best practices for hand hygiene, including resources and guidelines from BC Ministry of Health, Public Health Ontario, and World Health Organization. LEARN MORE...
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Webber Training has 61 downloadable posters – web and print resolution! Do Bugs Need Drugs – 24 pages with posters, tips, and information World Health Organization – hand washing posters and leaflet Vancouver Coastal Health – how to wash your hands APIC – infection control posters If your organization has any posters that you’d like to share, please email us! Examples of APIC posters:...
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[…] Guideline: Infectious Diarrhea Created By: BC Medical Journal (BCMJ) May 2023 Other Resources Framework and toolkit for infection prevention and control in outbreak preparedness, readiness and response at the health care facility level Created By: World Health Organization (WHO) September 2022 Outbreak preparedness: Prepare for the unexpected Created By: Public Health Ontario (PHO) June 2017 Outbreak Preparedness, Prevention and Management in Congregate Living Settings Created...
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The provincial government is changing a seven-year-old policy and will begin offering HPV vaccines without charge to young men. Starting in January 2016, men aged 26 and under who have sexual relations with other men will be eligible to get the vaccine against the human papilloma virus. Next school year, in September 2016, boys in grade 4 will also be offered the HPV vaccine. Parents...
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Healthcare Worker Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Study related to the BC Influenza Prevention Policy The province introduced a new policy in 2012 that requires healthcare workers to get vaccinated against influenza or wear a mask in patient care areas during influenza season. The BC Centre for Disease Control is doing an evaluation study on the Policy, and you are encouraged to fill out a 10-15...
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From: Maureen O’Donnell, Tara Donovan, Titus Wong After nearly a decade with PICNet, Dr. Linda Hoang is leaving her official medical leadership role in the program. While saddened by her departure, we are also excited for Linda as she takes on her new provincial leadership role at the BC Centre for Disease Control as the Medical Director of the BCCDC Provincial Health Laboratory (PHL). Linda...
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As a network, PICNet works closely with the IPC Community of Practice. This includes taking requests for consultations, projects, and resources. Following are some ways that PICNet can help you: Develop new guidelines or manuals (for example, the Residential Care Manual was developed following a request from the Community of Practice) Review guidelines or policies you have developed (from an IPC perspective) Help you develop education...
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PICNet supports Change Day BC What drew you to healthcare? What ignites your passion? What step – big or small – could you take to make our system better for your patients or residents? The BC Patient Safety & Quality Council, together with a growing number of partners, is facilitating a grassroots movement to engage, energize and mobilize positive action for change. On October 15, 2015 (15.10.15) they...
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PICNet is updating the Best Practice Guidelines for Cleaning, Disinfection and Sterilization of Critical and Semi-Critical Medical Devices in BC Health Authorities – December 2011. We will be revising this document based on current literature, as well as feedback from our community of practice. As key project stakeholders, you are invited to participate in a survey (found here) to provide feedback to the 2011 guidelines. The survey...
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For Infection Control Week (October 20-26), PICNet will be visiting several long-term care facilities across the Lower Mainland. Last year, our educational infection control game was a huge hit – so it’s time to take it to even more staff! Rather than try to cram all those visits into one week (which was difficult for us!) we’ll be spreading them out over the whole month of October. We’ll post...
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From BCCDC: As we enter the summer months and our human influenza surveillance indicators decline to inter-seasonal levels, we would like to update you on recent global trends related to emerging respiratory pathogens, including novel influenza A viruses and MERS-CoV. HIGHLIGHTS Human Infections with Avian Influenza Avian Influenza A(H5N1). Egypt continues to experience a large-scale outbreak of avian influenza A(H5N1), with year-to-date case counts (n=132) exceeding prior yearly totals...
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[…] way of preventing the spread of infections, and it’s now easier than ever to clean your hands regularly, as hand sanitizer dispensers are located throughout healthcare facilities. However, you may have a read a recent news article claiming that alcohol-based hand sanitizer is ineffective against norovirus. You may have also heard that when you’re in contact with patients with C.difficile, you should use soap and water...
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[…] Control Professionals • Epidemiologists • Public Health • Environmental Health • Occupational Health ...
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Hugo Sax, MD Barbara Hasse, MD Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology University Hospital of Zurich University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland Global Mycobacterium chimaera outbreak in cardiac surgery Hosted by Julie Storr World Health Organization, Geneva Sponsored by www.webbertraining.com March 16, 2016 hugo.sax@usz.c h HumanLabZ.org hugo.sax@usz.c h HumanLabZ.org hugo.sax@usz.c h HumanLabZ.org hugo.sax@usz.c h HumanLabZ.org hugo.sax@usz.c h HumanLabZ.org hugo.sax@usz.c h HumanLabZ.org Achermann Y, et al. J Clin Microbiol. 2013...
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[…] a d P u b l i c A l a r m•Lethal:Higher fatality than endemic diseases•Unfamiliar:Emergent or re-emergent rather than endemic•Volatile: Sudden or swift acting•Egalitarian:Not limited to particular demographic groups•Uncertaintiesabout prevention, protection, and treatment• Newsworthy: Widely reported in the media•Disgusting:Revolting signs or symptoms•Stressful mitigation measures: Socioeconomic impacts of lockdown, quarantine, etc. Similari.es across Pandemics: Common Reac.ons•Polarization of emotions, attitudes, behaviors•New onset and newly...
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[…] People with asthma and other lung conditions are more susceptible to more serious complications. BCCDC is reminding British Columbians to take precautions, including cleaning your hands regularly and staying home when ill, to protect yourself and others from respiratory viruses that typically circulate at this time of year. You can read the full news release on the BCCDC website; they have additional resources (including a...
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