P96  Resources for Infection Control in Canadian Acute Care Hospitals: Results of the Resources for Infection Control in Hospitals (RICH) Project

ZOUTMAN, D.,*Ý FORD, D., CANADIAN HOSPITAL EPIDEMIOLOGY COMMITTEE, CANADIAN NOSOCOMIAL INFECTION SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM , Queen's University, Health Canada

Objective: The purpose of the Resources for Infection Control in Hospitals (RICH) project was to assess resources in acute care hospitals for the prevention and control of nosocomial infections. 

Methods: In October 2000, surveys were mailed to infection control programs in hospitals with greater than 80 acute care beds to be completed for the 1999 calendar or fiscal year. Surveillance and control indices were related to structural components of infection control. 

Results: The response rate was 71.8%, 171 of 238 hospitals. 39.0% of hospitals did not have certified ICPs and the mean ICP FTEs per 250 beds was 1.12 (SD 0.53). 16.9% of hospitals did not have physician or doctoral involvement in infection control and 29.6% of programs did not have secretarial support. 93.2% of hospitals reported MRSA statistics, 82.9% VRE and 76.0% C. difficile and 98.6% had written isolation precautions for MRSA, 97.3% for VRE and 71.9% for C. difficile. 78.1% of hospitals calculated surgical wound infection rates and of these 48.2% reported to each surgeon and 80.5% to the Chief of Surgery. The Surveillance index mean was 67.9/100 (20.2) and correlated with ICPs per bed and computerization of data functions. The Control index mean was 76.7/100 (SD 15.2) and correlated with computerization and availability of lab services. 

Conclusions: There are serious gaps in infection control in Canadian hospitals. Low scores for some structural elements correlated with low scores for surveillance and control activities. Important forms of reporting occurred less often likely due to the labor intensity of surveillance.