Canada's Chief Public Health Officer stresses the importance of infection control practices

Recently, reports have outlined the practice of syringes being reused in hospitals, potentially exposing patients to bloodborne infections like hepatitis C and HIV. I appreciate how difficult this must be for those patients who are now undergoing testing to determine whether or not they have been infected.

Although the risk of infection from reused syringes is low, the potential health consequences of contracting hepatitis C or HIV are very serious. This is why my colleagues in the provinces and territories and I are focusing on resolving this issue.

I want to take this opportunity to remind Canada's healthcare professionals to follow the Public Health Agency of Canada's nationally agreed upon infection control guidelines.

Our guidelines on preventing bloodborne infections, clearly state that:

• single use (disposable) needles should be discarded after one use; and
• changing needles between patients, but not changing syringes, is not an acceptable practice.

Infection control experts at the Agency are working with provincial and territorial Chief Medical Officers of Health to assess the extent of this practice.  The Agency will be assembling a national risk assessment working group made up of experts in the field.

The Agency will also be working with national professional organizations and infection control groups to develop strategies to reinforce the importance of infection control practices among healthcare professionals.

As my colleagues in the provinces and territories further examine the extent of this practice, it is my hope that the healthcare community will reaffirm the importance of infection control and adhere closely to these live-saving practices.

The Agency's complete set of infection control guidelines includes best practices on measures like proper hand-washing and disinfecting instruments, as well as other practices to prevent the spread of bloodborne and hospital-acquired infections.

Dr. David Butler-Jones,
Chief Public Health Officer of Canada