Staff getting share of ‘Bug Bites’ at Rosebridge Manor
Tuesday, November 22, 2005 -- Natalie Miller
When the sniffles and headache hits, do you have the cold or the flu?

The symptoms of a cold are a cough, runny nose, sneezing, headache and low-grade fever.

Meanwhile the flu includes a cough accompanied by fever, chills, sore throat, headache and muscle ache.

Staff members at Rosebridge Manor in Jasper are learning about infectious organisms and the best ways to control the spread of illness. ‘Bug Bites’ is a series of infection control in-services targeting frontline staff. Over the next month, employees will hear about a variety of types of organisms that can make their way into long-term care.

“This came about following the infection control information sheets that went to all of our staff,” says Karen Bajinski, director of care.

Infection control information, sent to all OMNI homes from home office, was included recently with Rosebridge employees’ paycheques.

As a follow-up, Karen organized the in-services to elaborate further on the information and provide the opportunity for staff to ask questions. “It stills bears repeating,” says Karen about infection control information.

The first 30-minute in-service focused on determining the difference between the cold and the flu. A second in-service dealt with procedures during a respiratory outbreak.

Other sessions include ‘Do Bugs Need Drugs?’ being offered today at 2 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 1: Clostridium Difficile. C. Difficile is a bacterium that produces a toxin that causes inflammation of the colon and diarrhea.

Friday, Dec. 2: Norwalk Virus. Norwalk Virus is a combination of several different viruses that causes non-bacterial diarrhea and vomiting in humans.

Monday, Dec. 12: Pneumococcal disease. Pneumococcal disease is an infection caused by a type of bacteria called Streptococcus.

Tuesday, Dec. 13: Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MSRA), a bacterium that lives in the nose and on the skin, and Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) -- Enterococci are bacteria found in everyone’s bowel and occasionally, these bacteria can become resistant to Vancomycin after antibiotic use.

The sessions have one thing in common. “It reinforces handwashing technique,” says Karen. “In every single one of them it’s the bottom line” to reducing the spread of infectious organisms.

Karen says at the sessions held so far, which are voluntary, there has been strong attendance. The turnout shows staff’s desire to keep the residents healthy and their own families free of infection, Karen says.

Click here for more information about infection control.