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Guidelines and Toolkits

PICNet guidelines are not regulatory; they are intended as a reference for Health Authorities to utilize when developing their related policies.  More...

We recommend these guidelines be used to harmonize infection prevention and control practices throughout BC. It is common for patients/clients/residents to utilize more that one facility and cross health authority boundaries, and staff often work in more than one facility. A consistent approach will reduce confusion and promote a better understanding by everyone of the required practices.

Responsible clinician judgment remains paramount. Utilizing these evidence based guidelines, infection control programs need to develop policies and protocols that are tailored to their specific facility needs, and the patients they serve.

While point-of-care staff are welcome to read and refer to any of the guidelines (including ones from other jurisdictions, provided for your reference) they are not intended to supersede direction given by their local Infection Control Practitioner or their health authority’s Infection Prevention and Control program.

 
 

You can navigate to the pages within this section using the Guidelines and Toolkits menu bar, above, or you can search using the Search box above the table.
To sort the table by any of the columns, click on the column name (blue area). To filter, use the drop-downs (green area). To remove your filter, choose “All Results” from the drop-down.

Guideline/ToolkitClick to sort by: Jurisdiction Author PICNet Web Page Date
  All Results All Results All Results All
Routine Practices and Additional Precautions for Preventing the Transmission of Infection in Healthcare Settings Canada PHAC General Infection Control Practices 2012
Routine Practices and Additional Precautions Assessment and Educational Tools Canada PHAC General Infection Control Practices 2012
Guideline: Wound Bed Preparation for Healable and Non-Healable Wounds in Adults and Children British Columbia BC Provincial Nursing Skin and Wound Committee General Infection Control Practices 2015
Procedure: Swab for Culture and Susceptibility in Suspected Wound Infection British Columbia BC Provincial Nursing Skin and Wound Committee General Infection Control Practices 2015
Single Use Respirators and Fit Testing Equivalency British Columbia WorkSafeBC General Infection Control Practices 2009
Essential Resources for Effective Infection Prevention and Control Programs: A Matter of Patient Safety: A Discussion Paper Canada PHAC General Infection Control Practices 2010
Infection Prevention and Control in the Dental Office Ontario Royal College of Dental Surgeons in Ontario General Infection Control Practices 2010
Infection prevention and control in health care for preparedness and response to outbreaks Worldwide WHO General Infection Control Practices  Multiple dates
Carbapenemase Producing Organisms (CPO) Toolkit British Columbia PICNet AROs 2018
Antibiotic Resistant Organism (ARO) Guidelines British Columbia PICNet AROs 2013
Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) Discussion Paper (2014) British Columbia PICNet AROs 2014
Toolkit for Management of CDI in Acute Care Settings British Columbia PICNet CDI 2018
Clostridium difficile Infection Infection Prevention And Control Guidance For Management In Acute Care Settings Canada PHAC CDI 2012
Clostridium difficile Infection Infection Prevention And Control Guidance For Management In Long-Term Care Facilities Canada PHAC CDI 2012
Housekeeping Manual British Columbia FNHA Environmental Cleaning 2016
Environmental Cleaning Toolkit Ontario Public Health Ontario Environmental Cleaning 2010
Gastrointestinal Infection Outbreak Guidelines for Healthcare Facilities British Columbia PICNet Gastrointestinal Infections 2016
Provincial Best Practices for Hand Hygiene Guidelines British Columbia BC Ministry of Health Hand Hygiene 2012
Provincial Best Practices for Hand Hygiene Guidelines: Facilities and Infrastructure Checklist British Columbia BC Ministry of Health Hand Hygiene 2013
Just Clean Your Hands: Hand Care Program Ontario Public Health Ontario Hand Hygiene 2009
Protecting Your Hands Fact Sheet for Health Care Providers (with Hand Care Assessment Tool) Ontario Public Health Ontario Hand Hygiene 2009
Hand Hygiene Practices in Healthcare Settings Canada PHAC Hand Hygiene 2012
Hand Hygiene Guidelines Worldwide WHO Hand Hygiene 2011
Home and Community Care Guidelines (2014 Revision) British Columbia PICNet Home and Community Care 2014
Management of Health Care Providers Pre and Post Exposure to Measles, Mumps or Rubella (MMR) British Columbia PICNet Immunization 2011
Respiratory Infection Outbreak Guidelines for Healthcare Facilities British Columbia PICNet Respiratory Illness 2018
Interim Guidance for MERS-CoV in Acute Care Settings Canada PHAC Respiratory Illness 2013
Infection Prevention and Control Measures for Healthcare Workers in Acute Care and Long-term Care Settings: Seasonal Influenza Canada PHAC Respiratory Illness 2010
Seasonal Influenza – Infection Prevention and Control Guidance for Management in Home Care Settings Canada PHAC Respiratory Illness 2012
PICNet discussion paper: Reprocessing of Equipment and Instruments Used in the Provision of Foot Care British Columbia PICNet Reprocessing 2016
Prevention and Control of Influenza during a Pandemic for All Healthcare Settings Canada PHAC Respiratory Illness 2011
Influenza Immunization Policy for BC Facilities British Columbia BC Ministry of Health Immunization 2013
British Columbia Best Practices for Environmental Cleaning for Prevention and Control of Infections in All Healthcare Settings and Programs British Columbia PICNet Environmental Cleaning 2016
Infection Control Guideline for the Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Pneumonia Canada PHAC Respiratory Illness 2010
Best Practice Guidelines for Cleaning, Disinfection and Sterilization of Critical and Semi-critical Medical Devices in BC Health Authorities British Columbia BC Ministry of Health Reprocessing Medical Devices 2011
Cleaning of Breast Pump Kits for Multiple Use by the Same Mother in Healthcare Settings British Columbia Perinatal Services BC Reprocessing Medical Devices 2013
Recommended practices for the prevention of endoscopy-related infections Canada PHAC General Infection Control Practices 2016
Recommendations for Cleaning and Disinfection in Medical Ultrasound to Prevent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Transmission British Columbia PICNet Reprocessing Medical Devices 2016
Residential Care Infection Prevention and Control Manual for Non- Affiliated Sites British Columbia PICNet Residential Care 2011
Infection Prevention and Control Guidelines – Critical Appraisal Tool Kit Canada PHAC General Infection Control Practices 2015
Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Measles Outbreaks in Canada Canada PHAC General Infection Control Practices 2012
Communicable Disease Control Manual British Columbia BCCDC General Infection Control Practices 2011
Infection Prevention and Control Guideline for Flexible Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and Flexible Bronchoscopy Canada PHAC General Infection Control Practices 2010
World Health Organization – Infection Control Guidelines by Topic Worldwide WHO General Infection Control Practices  Multiple dates
Guidelines for Personal Service Establishments British Columbia Ministry of Health General Infection Control Practices 2014
Guidance Document: Regulation of Fecal Microbiota Therapy for the Treatment of C. difficile Infections Canada Health Canada CDI 2015
Guide to the Elimination of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTIs) USA APIC General Infection Control Practices 2008
Ultrasound Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations for All Healthcare Settings British Columbia PICNet Reprocessing Medical Devices 2018
CAUTI Guidelines  USA US CDC General Infection Control Practices 2015
Varicella Zoster Virus Management in Health Care Settings British Columbia PICNet General Infection Control Practices 2019
Infection prevention and control for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in acute care settings – Interim guidance Canada PHAC Respiratory Illness 2020
Interim Mpox IPAC Guidance – updated Jan 5, 2023 British Columbia PICNet General Infection Control Practices 2023
C. auris interim recommendations for infection prevention and control Canada PHAC AROs 2021
C. auris Q&A British Columbia PICNet AROs 2016