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Karen Stockton and Dr. Virginia Roth
Wherever there’s the potential for an infectious-disease outbreak, quick responders from the infection-control, housekeeping and logistics departments spring into action. Their main role is to work with the clinical manager of units where transmission of an infectious disease has occurred.
The team responds within 24 to 48 hours of a hospital-acquired case to double-check that proper infection control and prevention practices are in place. It also helps repair damaged equipment and de-clutter areas within an affected unit.
The team was developed in response to a steady increase in the number of hospital-acquired cases of C. difficile infections, the most common cause of infectious diarrhea acquired in health-care settings. Elderly patients with weak immune systems are at the highest risk of contracting the antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which is typically spread after patients or staff touch contaminated surfaces such as toilets, handles and bedpans.
In addition to the introduction of the SWAT team, The Ottawa Hospital has developed a toolkit that spells out specific procedures every unit should follow to achieve the highest standards of hand hygiene, cleaning and waste management.
An extra layer of quality control has also been added to ensure that all of these enhanced infection-control practices are followed quickly and consistently hospital-wide. The goal of the response is to support a unit and to prevent transmission of C. difficile.
The SWAT team made its debut on a unit at the General Campus in January and is being fine-tuned as it’s rolled out across the hospital.
Because no hospital in the country has come up with a good way of verifying that the best infection-control practices are being followed, The Ottawa Hospital’s SWAT team is leading the way. It’s something new that, as far as we know, no one else has tried. We’re hoping to be able to share our success with others.
Dr. Virginia Roth, Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control
Karen Stockton, Clinical Director of Medicine
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