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5TuesdayAugust19201415YearsAgo...ThelightattheendoftheroadAlthoughdetailsareexpectedtobeformallyan-nouncedlaterthisweekawinterroadfromPeacePointtoGardenRivercouldbeinplacethisyearwithaper-manentroadplannedforthefollowingyear.ThisallstemsfromawhirlwindvisitbyfederalHeri-tageMinisterSheilaCoppspaidtoFortSmithlastweek.IssueAugust17199920YearsAgo...MinistersayscloseHayRiverofceorelseTheMinisterofEducationhaswrittenalettertotheSouthSlaveDivisionalBoardofEducationmemberstellingthemtoimmediatelyclosetheirHayRiverofceorhavetheboarddissolved.IamdirectingthatactionbetakenimmediatelytoclosetheHayRiveroperationandconsolidatemostifnotallstaffinFortSmithduringthenextfewmonthswroteRichardNerysoo.IssueAugust17199430YearsAgo...ChipbargersbeingwatchedTheFortChipewyanRCMPhavebeenaskedbyTrans-portCanadatoinvestigatetheactivitiesoftwocarrierswhoarereportedtobeviolatingcarrierlicencesontheAthabascaRiver.ThecompaniesinquestionareNor-saskMarineTransportownedbyJamesAugierandPineCreekconstructionwhoseownerisJohnInglis.IssueAugust161984ARCHIVESLETTERTheNorthwestTerritoriestoptourismmarketingagencyisfacedwiththechallengeofensuringnextyearsvisitorsarentdeterredbywhathasbeenoneoftheworstwildreseasonsinrecenthistorythissummer.NWTtourismoperatorsmakebestofbadreseasonCarolCollinsNomatterwehavealottoofferintheNorthwestTerritoriesNorthernJournal2014JoinusonlineLikeNorthernJournalonFacebookandgettheweeklynewsdeliveredtoyourfeedFACEBOOKFEEDBACKByDAWNKOSTELNIKItisourone-hundredthbirth-dayExpo67isbeingcele-bratedinMontreal.Downsouthofthechurchiswheretheriverbargesland.Looklookwhatisthatcom-ingTinnymusiccarriesoverthewaterandbeginstodrownoutthegovernmentpropaganda.Ahugeyellowwheelwithbrightaccentswobblesasthebargebumpsintothedockandthemusicbecomesclearer.WhatisitComecomequickAllkidsarerunningatfulltilttowardthisspectacle.ThebargepeopleareturningupthemusicsuchathingsuchathingWhatisitWearenotallowedonthedock.Theelderswalkeversoslowlydownthehill.Tophatsaredis-tinctiveagainsttheblueoftheskywehavetowaitforthemtoshowrespect.Theyareso-o-oslow.Wecanhardlywaitandwemustnttalkeither.Slowlyslowlytheyapproachthewater.Whatisthisthingwhitemanoneasks.WhyitsaFerriswheel.HaventyoueverseenaFerriswheelthebargeguysask.WhatdoesitdoWellyougetonitanditgoesaroundandaroundinacircle.ForwhatItsfunitistogiveyouaridehighintheskyandbackagain.Youcouldtouchthestarsiftherewereanyinthislandofmidnightsun.Thebargemenopenthegatetotheswingingchairanddem-onstratehowtogetinandsitdown.BlackTopHatssaynoth-ing.WearesquirmingiftheydontlikeitwewontbeabletotrytherideuntilsomeonecanconvincethemthatthisisOK.Thatdecisioncouldtakelon-gerthanthebargewillbehere.Asweetsmelltricklesbacktothedustyhotland.Heyyoukidstrythisstuff.Oneofthemenballsupapinkuffythingandthrowsittowardsthepackofkidswhereascufeoccursandadirtypinkorbisheldtri-umphantlyaloftbyanolderkid.Eatit.ReallyEatititsWhiteGirlBackinTime1967Part3of3sweet.Thekidstickshisfacefullintoitandbitesandsmilesbackwithpinkteeth.Thekidpacktearswhatsleftofthedirtypinkballapart-whatisthisincredibletasteHaventyoukidshadcottoncandybeforeNo.ThisistheCentennialBargetravellingnorthtotheArcticSeastoppingateveryvillagealongtheway.TheelderswiththeTopHatsaregettingintothechairsontheFerriswheelthechairscreakandswayinthewindandtheoldmeninblackhatsattempttomaintaintheirdignityandbalance.Thisstorywillcon-tinueinthenexteditionofTheNorthernJournal.Antiobiotic-resistanceorganismsPart2of3ByDR.ANDRCORRIVEAUThisarticleiscontinuedfromlastweeksissue.Antibiotic-resistantorganismsAROsareusu-allysubdividedintocom-munity-acquiredCAandhealthcare-associatedHA.InthissecondarticleIwillfocusonthelatterastheyareforthegreaterpartcon-sideredpreventableandmaybeindicativeofproblemsre-latedtogeneralsanitationanddisinfectionstaffcompliancewithpreventionmeasuressuchasproperhandwashinganduseofpersonalprotectiveequipmentandorantibioticstewardshipwhichmeansfol-lowingappropriateprescrib-ingstandardsorguidelineswithinahealthcarefacility.HAinfectionsHAIsareasignicantthreattovulner-ablepatients.About8percentofchildrenand10percentofadultsinCanadianhospi-talshaveanHAIatanygiventime.Theseverityisgreatestamongthosewhoareelderlyveryyounghaveweakenedimmunesystemsorhaveoneormorechronicconditions.Ofgreatestconcernarethebacte-riathatareresistanttomultipletypesofantibiotics.Morethan50percentofHAIsarecausedbybacteriathatareresistanttoatleastonetypeofantibiotic.TheHAmethicillin-resistantStaphylococcusaureusMRSAinfectionrateincreasedmorethan1000percentfrom1995to2009.About80percentoftheseinfectionsarespreadbyhealthcareworkersotherpa-tientsandvisitors.Properhandhygieneisthesinglemostsig-nicantfactorforreducingthespreadofinfection.Unsurpris-inglytheintensityofhands-oncarerequiredbyapatientispredictiveoftheriskofac-quiringoneoftheseantibioticresistantgerms.Thismeansthatplaceslikelevel3and4long-termcareunitsintensivecareunitsandsurgicalwardsareatgreaterrisk.NWTstatisticscomparedwithCanadaAlthoughlaboratoriesmustreportallcasesofantibiotic-re-sistantorganismstotheOfceoftheChiefPublicHealthOf-certhereportingsystemdoesnotautomaticallydistinguishthoseoriginatingfromhospi-talsfromthoseacquiredinthecommunity.HoweverwearestillabletoestimatetherelativeburdenthatweexperiencefromAROswithinthehealthcaresystemascomparedwiththosethatarecommunityacquired.ForexampleStantonTerrito-rialHospitaltheNWTsonlyhospitalofmorethan50bedskeepstrackofitsownhospital-acquiredinfections.Theserateshavesofarremainedlowerthanthenationalaverages.From2009to2011theMRSAratewas1per10000patientdaysascomparedtoanaverageof2.810000forCanadaC.diffrate1per10000patientdayscomparedto6.0410000andVREnumbersallacquiredinhospitalsoutsidetheNWTaretoofewlessthan5toreportagainstanationalaveragerateof0.7410000.ReasonswhyHA-AROratesarelowerintheNWTascomparedtotherestofCanadamayincludeOurhospitalsaresmallerandwedonthavethetypesoflargehospitalsprovid-ingtertiarylevelclinicalserviceswheresuchinfec-tionsoccurmorefrequently.RigorousinfectioncontrolstandardsandprotocolsareinplaceinallNWThealthcarefacilities.StandardsincludetheHospitalandHealthcareFacilityStan-dardsRegulationtheNWTInfectionPreventionCon-trolManualandtheCom-municableDiseaseManual.HealthandSocialServicesAuthoritiesarerequiredtomeetthesestandardsthroughtheiroperationalprotocolsandcomplywiththemanu-alsinaccordancewiththeReportableDiseaseControlRegulationsunderthePublicHealthAct.Inadditionhos-pitalsmustregularlymeetthedemandinginfectioncontrolandpreventionrequirementsofAccreditationCanadainordertoattainandmaintaintheirnationalaccreditation.Thesestandardsincorporatestrictprotocolsgoverninghousekeepingandcleaningpracticesinfacilities.HereissomeadvicethatwillhelpyoureduceyourriskofacquiringaninfectionwhileinhospitalMakesurethatyouwashyourhandsproperlyespe-ciallyafterusingthetoilet.Remindhospitalstafftodothesamebeforeandaftertheyattendtoyou.IfyouhaveanIVdripletyournurseknowifthesitearoundtheneedleisnotclean.Tellyournurseifthedress-ingsarenotcleandryorat-tachedaroundanywoundsyoumayhave.Letyournurseknowiftubesorcathetersfeeldisplaced.Doyourdeepbreathingex-ercisesasinstructed.Thisisveryimportantbecausetheycanhelppreventachestinfection.Askrelativesorfriendswhohavecoldsorareun-wellnottovisit.Thisarticlewillconcludeinnextweekspaper.GregBohonisLotsofmushroompick-ersnextyear