Main Menu
Donate
Search
Accessibility

Infection Prevention & Control

Lennox & Addington County General Hospital (LACGH) is committed to providing the best and safest care for our patients. One way we achieve this is by conducting targeted surveillance and reporting infection rates to identify areas for improvement. Most infections in hospital settings happen through the spread of microorganisms such as bacteria or viruses, which are common in the community, at home, in schools, and in workplaces.

Our infection control efforts play a critical role in maintaining patient safety and quality care.

Public Reporting of Patient Safety Indicators

We fully support the provincial government’s strategy to publicly report five patient safety indicators. This transparency enhances patient safety and strengthens public confidence in our hospital.

It is important to understand that reporting these rates is not a complete solution to reducing infections. Instead, these reports provide hospitals with information to identify safety concerns and implement improvements.

 

Our infection rates are detailed below, and additional information is available on the Health Quality Ontario website. Please note that not all hospitals report all indicators, as reporting depends on patient and case types.

Patient Safety Indicators

We are committed to providing the best and safest care to our patients. One way we do this is by conducting targeted surveillance and reporting our infection rates. Most infections in hospital settings happen through the spread of microorganism such as bacteria or viruses. These microorganisms are found in the community, at home, in schools and in workplaces.

We support the provincial government’s strategy to publicly report five patient safety indicators. We believe it will enhance patient safety and strengthen the public’s confidence in our hospital.

 

It is important to understand that the reporting of these rates is not the overall solution to reducing the rates of infections in hospitals. These rates are tools that will provide hospitals with good information to assist us in understanding where patient safety issues exist and to help us take actions to improve.

 

Our rates are below, where you will also find some frequently asked questions on each indicator. You can also access these rates on the patient safety pages of the Health Quality Ontario website. It is important to note that not all hospitals will report all rates, due to the nature of patients and/or the cases it treats.

Healthcare worker wearing a mask and hair cover washes hands at a clinical sink.

Clostridium Difficile Infections (CDI)

  • Reporting Frequency: Monthly
  • CDI (C. difficile) is a bacterium found in the bowel. In some cases, it produces toxins that damage the bowel lining, causing diarrhea. Treatment involves targeted antibiotics.
  • Current CDI annual data reporting (April 2024 – March 2025):
    • New cases: 0
    • Rate per 1000 patient days: 0
    • NV = no value; data not yet available

Frequently Asked Questions about CDI

Clostridium difficile Infection (CDI) is often abbreviated to C. difficile or C. diff for short.

 

C. difficile is a germ that can be found, on occasion, in people’s bowels. It does not always cause problems or symptoms but in some cases can. In some people who are also taking antibiotics, the germ can grow because the antibiotics kill off many of the “good” and harmless germs that normally prevent the C. difficile from growing to high numbers.

 

C. difficile makes a toxin that damages the fragile lining of the bowel causing inflammation and loose watery bowel movements (diarrhea) and inflammation.

If you get the C. difficile germ you most often do not develop any symptoms of diarrhea at all. People, particularly those taking antibiotics, may get diarrhea. The diarrhea can range from mild to severe with many bowel movements in a day and accompanied by abdominal pain and cramps.

Healthy people are not usually susceptible to C. difficile. Seniors and people who have other illnesses or conditions being treated with antibiotics and those who take acid-suppressing stomach medications are at greater risk of an infection from C. difficile.

Yes, in severe cases of CDI, death can occur. This is uncommon and tends to occur in those people with other severe health problems. The vast majority of people recover from CDI.

C. difficile can be spread from one person to another by contact, hand hygiene is critical to
preventing its spread in a health-care setting.


If a patient is positive for C. difficile, they are placed on Contact Precautions.


Contact Precautions aim to limit the spread of CDI to other patients and to health care providers. You may be placed in a private room or with other patients who are also carrying the bacteria. A sign may be placed on your door to remind others who enter your room about these special Contact Precautions. Those caring for you as well as visitors will be asked to clean their hands, gown and glove before entering your room. Everyone who enters and leaves your room must clean their hands well. The room and equipment in the room will be cleaned and disinfected regularly.

If a person has diarrhea due to CDI, a doctor will prescribe a type of antibiotic that kills the C. difficle germs. The two most commonly used antibiotics to treat CDI are metronidazole and vancomycin.

Hand Hygiene Compliance

  • Program: “Just Clean Your Hands,” a provincial initiative promoting hand hygiene among staff, patients, and visitors.
  • Staff receive education on hand hygiene techniques before and after patient contact. Audits are conducted during routine activities, and compliance is measured by dividing hand hygiene occurrences by observed opportunities. Compliance rates are calculated by dividing the number of times that hand hygiene was performed for each of the indications by the number of observed hand hygiene opportunities for that specific indication.
  • Reporting Frequency: Annual
  • Current hand hygiene annual data reporting (April 2024 – March 2025):
    • Before initial patient environment contact: 94%
    • After initial patient environment contact: 93%

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Bloodstream Infections

  • Reporting Frequency: Quarterly
  • Staphylococcus aureus is a germ which can live on the skin and mucous membranes of healthy people. Occasionally, staphylococcus aureus can cause an infection. When staphylococcus aureus develops resistance to certain antibiotics, it is called methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus or MRSA.
  •  Current MRSA data by reporting period:
    • (Q1 April-June 2024):
      • New cases: 0
      • Rate per 1000 patient days: 0
    • (Q2 July-Sept 2024):
      • New cases: 0
      • Rate per 1000 patient days: 0
    • (Q3 Oct-Dec 2024):
      • New cases: 0
      • Rate per 1000 patient days: 0
    • (Q4 Jan-March 2025):
      • New cases: 0
      • Rate per 1000 patient days: 0
  • NV = no value; data not yet available

Frequently Asked Questions about MRSA

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacteria that periodically lives on the skin and mucous membranes of healthy people. Occasional it can develop a resistance to certain antibiotics causing an infection. This is called Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA. MRSA is spread from one person to another by contact, usually on hands in contact with contaminated material by an infected person. MRSA can survive well on hands and can survive for weeks on inanimate objects such as door handles etc.

Risk factors for MRSA infections include invasive procedures, prior treatment with antibiotics, prolonged hospital stay, stay in an intensive care unit, surgical wound infection and close proximity to someone who is carrying MRSA.

MRSA is spread from one person to another by contact, usually on the hands of caregivers. MRSA can be present on the health care provider’s hands either from touching contaminated material from infected persons or from touching articles contaminated by a person carrying MRSA, such as towels, sheets and wound dressings. MRSA can live on hands and objects in the environment for extended periods of time 

Most people do not die if they are infected with MRSA, however in severe cases of MRSA bacteremia, death can occur. This is uncommon and tends to occur in those people with other severe health problems. The vast majority of people recover from MRSA, once their health is restored.

Health care providers and visitors should always practice good hand hygiene before and after patient contact. If a patient is known to have or had MRSA in the past additional infection control precautions are initiated. Single room accommodation will be provided for people with MRSA infection.

If a patient is carrying MRSA, generally no treatment is necessary, as the organism is not causing an illness and often will be cleared on its own when the person’s health is restored. If it is determined that the patient is infected (they have a blood infection, skin infection or wound infection etc.) then the patient will treated with the appropriate antibiotic as determined by a physician.

Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) Bloodstream Infections

  • Reporting Frequency: Quarterly
  • VRE bacteria are normally found in the intestines and the female genital tract, but can become resistant to vancomycin, an antibiotic. LACGH does not screen patients for VRE upon admission or isolate colonized/infected patients.
  • Current VRE data by reporting period:
    • (Q1 April-June 2024):
      • New cases: 0
      • Rate per 1000 patient days: 0
    • (Q2 July-Sept 2024):
      • New cases: 0
      • Rate per 1000 patient days: 0
    • (Q3 Oct-Dec 2024):
      • New cases: 0
      • Rate per 1000 patient days: 0
    • (Q4 Jan-March 2025):
      • New cases: 0
      • Rate per 1000 patient days: 0
  • NV = no value; data not yet available

Frequently Asked Questions about VRE

Enterococci are germs that live in the gastrointestinal tract (bowels) of most individuals and generally do not cause harm. VRE are strains of enterococci that are resistant to the antibiotic Vancomycin. If a person has an infection caused by VRE, it may be more difficult to treat.

Risk factors for VRE acquisition include severe underlying illness, presence of invasive devices, prior colonization with VRE, antibiotic use and longer hospital stay.

VRE is spread from one person to another by contact, usually on the hands of caregivers. VRE can be present on hands either from touching contaminated material excreted by an infected person or from touching articles soiled by feces. VRE can survive well on hands and can survive for weeks on inanimate objects such as toilet seats, taps, door handles, bedrails, furniture.

Generally, people do not die if they are infected with VRE. In severe cases, VRE bacteremias can lead to death. This is rare and tends to occur in those people with other severe health problems. The vast majority of people recover from VRE, once their health is restored.

Health care providers and visitors should always practice good hand hygiene before and after patient contact, after using the bathroom, blowing your nose, before handling food etc. VRE is easy to kill with the use of disinfectants. Family and visitors should not assist other patients with their personal care.

 

Public reporting of our infection rates is important because it will allow us to work with a standardized approach across the province.

If a patient is simply carrying VRE, no treatment is necessary, as the organism will be cleared on its own when the person’s health is restored. If it is determined that the patient is infected (they have a blood infection, urine infection or wound infection) then the patient will be treated with the appropriate antibiotic as determined by a physician.

Surgical Safety Checklist (SSCL)

  • Reporting Frequency: Quarterly
  • The SSCL is a patient safety communication tool, which is used by our team of operating room professionals (surgeons, anesthetist or nursing staff) to discuss important case details.
  • The SSCL dialogue occurs at three key times during the operating room experience:
    • Before the patient is given anesthesia,
    • Before skin incision, and
    • Before closing or completing a procedure.
  • Research has shown that the practice of using a SSCL reduces the risk of errors leading to complications and mortality. The very nature of the checklist improves overall teamwork, communication and patient wellbeing.
  • Compliance with the SSCL is one of several safety indicators we must report, and we strongly support the provincial government’s reporting regime. Implementing the mandatory use of the SSCL and publicly reporting it is another very useful step in helping our hospital monitor improved quality and patient safety efforts.
  • Current SSCL compliance rates by reporting period:
    • (Q1 April-June 2024):
      • Percentage of surgeries with completed SSCL: 100%
    • (Q2 July-Sept 2024):
      • Percentage of surgeries with completed SSCL: 100%
    • (Q3 Oct-Dec 2024):
      • Percentage of surgeries with completed SSCL: 100%
    • (Q4 Jan-March 2025):
      • Percentage of surgeries with completed SSCL: 100%
  • NV = no value; data not yet available

Table of Contents