[Table of Contents]

Canada Communicable Disease Report - Supplement
Volume: 23S8
December 1997

INFECTION CONTROL GUIDELINES

Preventing the Spread of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE) in Canada

Foot Care by Health Care Providers

Preventing Infections Associated with Indwelling Intravascular Access Devices

Introductory Statement

The primary objective in developing clinical guidelines at the national level is to assist health care professionals in improving the quality of resident care.  Guidelines for the control of infection are needed to assist in developing policies, procedures and evaluative mechanisms to ensure an optimal level of care.  Guidelines facilitate the setting of standards but respect the autonomy of each institution and recognize the governing body's authority and responsibility of ensuring the quality of resident care provided by the institution.

The guidelines, whenever possible, have been based on research findings.  There are some aspects about which there is insufficient published research, and, therefore, consensus of experts in the field has been utilized to provide guidelines specific to conventional practice.

Both encouragement of research and frequent revision and updating to keep pace with advances in the field are necessary if guidelines are to achieve the purpose for which they have been developed.

The Steering Committee acknowledges, with sincere appreciation, the many practising health professionals and others who contributed advice and information to this endeavour.

The guidelines outlined herein are part of a series that have been developed over a period of years under the guidance of the Steering Committee on Infection Control Guidelines Development.  Infection Control Guidelines for Preventing the Spread of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci in Canada presents an overview of VRE and recommendations to assist in the prevention of the transmission of VRE in health care facilities; Foot Care by Health Care Providers contains information on routine foot care that is not intentionally invasive; and in Preventing Infections Associated with Indwelling Intravascular Access Devices the principles are set out for preventing infection from the use of peripheral and central, venous and arterial access devices in hospital, outpatient and home care settings.  This document is part of the Health Canada series of Infection Control Guidelines and is intended to be used with the other Infection Control Guidelines.  Others in the series include the following:

• Preventing the Transmission of Bloodborne Pathogens in Health Care and Public Services Settings (1997)

• Isolation and Precaution Techniques (1990) (under revision)

• Cleaning, Disinfection, Sterilization and Antisepsis in Health Care (revision of Part V - Hospital Environmental Control [1990] will be published as a CCDR supplement in 1998)

• Preventing the Transmission of Tuberculosis in Canadian Health Care Facilities and Other Institutional Settings (1996)

• Canadian Contingency Plan for Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers and Other Related Diseases (1997)

• Occupational Health in Health Care Facilities (1990) (under revision)

• Prevention of Nosocomial Pneumonia (1990) (under revision)

• Long Term Care Facilities (1994)

• Antimicrobial Utilization in Health Care Facilities (1990)

• Prevention of Surgical Wound Infections (1990)

• Prevention of Urinary Tract Infections (1990)

• Perinatal Care (1988)

• Organization of Infection Control Programs in Health Care Facilities (1990)

For information regarding the above Health Canada publications, contact:

Division of Nosocomial and Occupational Infections
Bureau of Infectious Diseases
Laboratory Centre for Disease Control
Health Canada, PL 0603E1
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0L2
Telephone: (613) 952-9875
Fax: (613) 952-6668

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