Healthcare infection prevention and control guidelines
Guidelines to help prevent the spread of infection in healthcare settings. These guidelines were developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada with the support of the National Advisory Committee on Infection Prevention and Control (NAC-IPC).
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About healthcare-associated infections
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are infections that can spread during the provision of health care. HAIs are also known as nosocomial infections or hospital-acquired infections.
Implementing infection prevention and control guidelines can help prevent the spread of HAIs.
HAIs can spread from:
- person to person (patients, healthcare workers and visitors)
- environment (reusable patient care equipment, surfaces) to person
Healthcare infection prevention and control guidelines
General
- Routine Practices and Additional Precautions for Preventing the Transmission of Infection in Healthcare Settings (2013)
- Disclaimer: The recommendations for hantavirus in Routine Practices and Additional Precautions for Preventing the Transmission of Infection in Healthcare Settings do not apply to hantavirus Andes species (ANDV).
- Hand Hygiene Practices in Healthcare Settings (2012)
- Prevention and Control of Occupational Infections in Health Care (2002)
- Notice: Updated infection prevention and control recommendations for Measles in healthcare settings
- Notice: Interim recommendations for infection prevention and control of avian influenza in healthcare settings
- Notice: Interim recommendations for infection prevention and control of Andes hantavirus in healthcare settings (June 2026)
Antimicrobial resistant organisms
Bloodborne viruses (HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C)
Classic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)
Clostridioides difficile infection
Ebola disease
Endoscopy-related infections
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)
Seasonal influenza
Tuberculosis (TB)
Related links
- Critical Appraisal Tool Kit (2014)
- About: Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program (CNISP)
- CNISP: Infection rates of national healthcare-acquired infections and antimicrobial-resistant organisms and antimicrobial usage in hospitals
- COVID-19 for health professionals: Infection prevention and control