Infection Prevention and Control Resources for Institutional Facilities
General Resources
- Diseases of Public Health Significance
- Chlorine Dilution Calculator
- Choosing a Sanitizer or Disinfectant - Fact Sheet
Outbreak Management Resources
- Institutions Respiratory and Enteric Outbreak Line Listing Form
- Respiratory Outbreak Infection Control - Institutional Checklist
- Enteric Outbreak Infection Control - Institutional Checklist
- Recommendations for Outbreak Prevention and Control in Institutions and Congregate Living Settings
Signage
Steps for Early Identification of Outbreaks
Conduct Surveillance (Green Sign)
- Conduct ongoing surveillance for infections in residents and staff and follow routine practices for infection control.
- Conduct targeted surveillance for respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms in residents and staff.
- Identify respiratory symptoms such as: runny nose / stuffy nose, sneezing, coughs, congestion, sore throat, hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, fever or abnormal temperature, breathing difficulty, loss of appetite, malaise or muscle pain.
- Identify gastrointestinal symptoms: 2 or more unexpected incidents of diarrhea and/or vomiting within 24 hours.
Suspect an Outbreak (Yellow Sign)
RESPIRATORY
- When one case is laboratory confirmed for influenza, suspect an influenza outbreak.
OR
-
When there are two cases of acute respiratory tract illness detected within 48 hours in one geographic area.
OR
- When more than one unit has a case of acute respiratory illness within 48 hours.
GASTROINTESTINAL
- When there are two cases of gastrointestinal illness detected within 24 hours in one geographic area.
OR
- When more than one unit has a case of gastrointestinal illness within 24 hours.
CONTACT THE HEALTH UNIT EARLY ABOUT ANY SUSPECTED OUTBREAK.
Initiate Action for Outbreak Management (Red Sign)
- Implement Infection Control Measures – Routine Practices and Transmission-Based Precautions.
- Notify your local office of the EOHU. If you can’t speak to your contact person, ask to speak to the “Infectious Disease Team”. After hours call 1 800 267-7120. Ask to speak to the “On Call Manager” and they will be paged.
- Initiate two separate line lists, one for residents and one for staff.
- Fax the line listing daily to the Health Unit in your region.
- Follow Public Health directions to obtain specimens for laboratory testing (NP swabs for respiratory symptoms, stool samples for gastrointestinal symptoms).
- Implement the Public Health Recommendations of Outbreak Control Measures. Maintain daily contact with Public Health to review additional cases.
- For more information, consult the EOHU’s outbreak management resources by going to www.EOHU.ca and clicking on the Outbreak Management topic in the Institutional Facilities section.
Signs
- Conduct Surveillance (Green Sign)
- Suspect an Outbreak (Yellow Sign)
- Gastrointestinal Outbreak Declared (Red Sign)
- Respiratory Outbreak Declared (Red Sign)