The Bug Stops Here

Infection Prevention and Control

Did you know hand washing is the simplest way to prevent up to 50% of infections and illnesses? Every year, an estimated 5-7 per cent of patients admitted to hospitals develop a preventable and even deadly hospital-acquired infection such as C. Difficile, MRSA and VRE. Older patients, individuals with weak immune systems and patients who have been in hospitals for a long time are highly vulnerable to these infections. Infections are often transmitted through touch and we all play an important role in ensuring The Bug Stops Here.

If you’re visiting a hospital, consider these important tips:

If you’re visiting a patient or getting treatment, remember to wash your hands when you enter and leave the hospital and before eating.
Ask your doctor, nurse or other health care professional to wash or sanitize their hands using a gel hand rinse before examining you. It’s your right as a patient, so speak up.
Ask your doctor whether administering an antibiotic within one hour before surgery is useful at preventing wound infections for your type of surgery.

Education
Infection control brochures and health information

Did you know there is a proper way to wash your hands? Click on the links below to learn how to perfect your technique and prevent the spread of infections

Routine Precautions - Handwashing (Photo Description)
The Bug Stops Here - Handwashing: What does handwashing do?
Got Hands? Wash 'em!

Useful resources on infection prevention and control

APIC- Association For Professionals in Infection Control
CHICA- Community and Hospital Infection Control Association - Canada
CDC-Centre for Disease Control and Prevention
Canadian Infectious Diseases Society
Canadian TB Standards
Health Canada, Infectious Disease Society
Provincial Infectious Disease Advisory Committee (PIDAC)
Public Health Agency of Canada
SARSwatch
Toronto Public Health
World Health Organization
World Stop TB Partnership

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