For the latest updates and information about the novel coronavirus in Victoria please refer to the DHHS website. As this is a rapidly changing situation please refer to this link for updates regularly.
Read more...Click on the link below to read infectious diseases physician Dr Lyn-li Lim's latest literature reviews: Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and Health outcomes attributable to CPE infections.
Read more...VICNISS Competencies have been reviewed and revised versions are now available. We strongly encourage those staff involved in surveillance and submission of data to VICNISS relating to the following modules to complete the corresponding competencies; CLABSI, SSI, SAB and CDI. Haemodialysis Event (HDE) is a new competency now available for all staff completing haemodialysis event surveillance.
Read more...VICNISS is in the process of updating reports, and some of you will have been consulted during the scoping process around draft peer groups earlier this year. We invite you to submit input regarding the utility of these groups for future reporting by 31st January 2020.
Read more...VICNISS together with stakeholders have developed a definition that clarifies a peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) associated Staphylococcus aureus blood stream infection (SAB) as distinct from a central venous catheter (CVC) associated SAB.
Read more...VICNISS currently provides health services surgical antibiotic prophylaxis reports, which include compliance with antibiotic choice, timing and duration. You will have noticed changes to the SAP data fields in the revised manual (July 2019). This information will allow antibiotics, that the patient is receiving for treatment of infection, to be included in assessment of surgical prophylaxis.
Read more...
VICNISS is a partner in the National Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship (NCAS). The multiple areas of overlap between antimicrobial stewardship and infection control mean NCAS and VICNISS are working collaboratively on many joint projects.
Some of these include:
Resources such as guidelines, root cause analysis/ audit tools and fact sheets can be found on the following link: https://www.ncas-australia.org/
Many healthcare associated infections are preventable. As a consumer of healthcare, you may wish to know more about how to prevent acquiring an infection during your hospital stay. Consumer facts sheets have been developed to support the messages on healthcare associated infection contained in the NHMRC Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare. These fact sheets aim to inform patients, visitors, families and carers about healthcare associated infection, what activities healthcare facilities have in place to prevent infections and/or to limit the spread of infections.
The current fact sheets can be accessed via the NHMRC website here
Click on the Go to Downloads button to find the brochures for the following:
Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI)
Clostridioides difficile (CDI)
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE)
There is a vast amount of information available on the internet in relation to healthcare associated infections some of which may not be accurate. If you wish to know more regarding infection prevention; contact the Infection Prevention team at your hospital, or you can use the recommended links of reputable websites below.
