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Healthcare Associated Infections Overview


What you need to know about infections at UHN

The Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) department at UHN works collaboratively with healthcare providers to protect patients from acquiring healthcare-associated infections.

What are Healthcare-associated infections?

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are infections that patients can get in a healthcare facility while receiving medical care.

Examples of HAIs include MRSA and C. difficile infections, surgical site infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections and ventilator-associated pneumonias.

IPAC provides hospital-wide services for the prevention and control of HAIs such as:

  • Tracking infection rates
  • Educating patients and their families
  • Educating clinical and non-clinical hospital staff
  • Implementing best practices to prevent and control HAIs
  • Working with UHN management and staff to ensure good hand hygiene

If you have concerns about any HAI, your healthcare team will work with IPAC to answer any questions you have and provide you or your family with UHN brochures on these topics.

Publicly Reported Safety Indicators

UHN infection rates and performance indicators are reported to the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care and are available to the public via Health Quality Ontario.

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