Infection control by point-of-use water filtration in an intensive care unit - a Hungarian case study

Hospital tap water is a potential source of pathogenic bacteria associated with nosocomial infections. Infection control should include preventive measures to reduce the risk of waterborne infection. The efficiency of point-of-use water filters in infection control was assessed in the intensive care...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of water and health 2014-12, Vol.12 (4), p.858-867
Main Authors: BARNA, Zsófia, ANTMANN, Katalin, PASZTI, Judit, BANFI, Renáta, KADAR, Mihály, SZAX, Anita, NEMETH, Melinda, SZEGO, Eszter, VARGHA, Márta
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Bacteria
Biological and medical sciences
Case studies
Contamination
Cross Infection - microbiology
Cross Infection - prevention & control
Disease control
Drinking water
Drinking Water - microbiology
Drinking water and swimming-pool water. Desalination
Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
Environment. Living conditions
Exact sciences and technology
Filters
Filtration
Genomes
Health risks
Hospitals
Hungary
Infections
Intensive care
Intensive Care Units
Legionella
Legionella pneumophila - classification
Legionella pneumophila - genetics
Legionella pneumophila - isolation & purification
Legionnaires disease
Legionnaires' Disease - microbiology
Legionnaires' Disease - prevention & control
Medical sciences
Nosocomial infection
Nosocomial infections
Pollution
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas aeruginosa - classification
Pseudomonas aeruginosa - genetics
Pseudomonas aeruginosa - isolation & purification
Pseudomonas Infections - microbiology
Pseudomonas Infections - prevention & control
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Water filters
Water filtration
Water Purification
Water Supply
Water treatment and pollution
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Summary:Hospital tap water is a potential source of pathogenic bacteria associated with nosocomial infections. Infection control should include preventive measures to reduce the risk of waterborne infection. The efficiency of point-of-use water filters in infection control was assessed in the intensive care unit of a Hungarian hospital with long history of nosocomial Pseudomonas aeruginosa cases. All taps in the unit were fitted with disposable point-of-use filters. The incidence of nosocomial P. aeruginosa infections decreased from 2.71 to 0 cases/100 patient days when the filters were in place. Legionnaires' disease was not observed either during or outside the study period. Before the application of the filters, both P. aeruginosa and Legionella sp. were shown to colonize five of the seven taps. Filtration eliminated both bacteria completely, though secondary contamination was observed. Total genome restriction profiling of environmental and clinical P. aeruginosa isolates have shown the ubiquitous presence of a single genotype. The same genotype was detected in five of the seven previous nosocomial cases, which supports the assumption of water-derived infection. The results demonstrate that point-of-use filters are effective and cost-efficient measures in reducing health-care associated infections.
ISSN:1477-8920
1996-7829
DOI:10.2166/wh.2014.052