In January this year three babies died from Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in Northern Ireland, and the source was traced back to the hospital water supply.
As a result, the Department of Health (DH) rapidly drew up a new best practice technical guidance, which was published on 31 March, to provide advice on what actions healthcare organisations should take (within augmented care units). Among the areas covered were
• Assessing the risk to patients if water systems become contaminated with P. aeruginosa or other ‘opportunistic pathogens’;
• What actions to take if water systems become contaminated with P. aeruginosa;
• Protocols for sampling, testing, and monitoring water for P. aeruginosa;
• Developing local water safety plans.
Northern Ireland published its own guidance on 30 April, which follows the DH format, but specifically includes neonatal units caring for babies at levels 1, 2, and 3.
A third document has just been released by the Department of Health through the NHS Technology Adoption Centre (NTAC), and is intended to be used to support the business case for implementation of point-of-use (POU) filters in the UK.
Pall-Aquasafe filters were submitted to the DH as part of the Department’s Innovative Technology Adoption (iTAPP) process, along with over 100 other products. The Pall products were one of 22 chosen with level 3 approval – i.e. they had demonstrated high quality clinical evidence of effectiveness, as well as cost-saving potential. The briefing pack is available on the DH website.
Pall Medical provides a diverse range of filtration membranes to the healthcare market for critical contamination control. Specifically engineered for the filtration of blood and its components, hospital water, respiration, parenteral therapy, and cardiovascular and general surgical applications, the company says its filtration products are ‘a critical element for infection control and blood safety’.
Pall explained: “We are sensitive to the intense pressures for cost containment, and to the increased focus on preventative care. As a result, our emphasis is on not only improving patient outcomes, but also on reducing the overall cost of providing that care. We are dedicated to improving the process of all healthcare applications where filters are required, and to creating solutions for our customers.
“The Pall-Aquasafe water filter range provides an instantaneous, permanent, and clinical barrier to the passage of waterborne microorganisms, protecting both hospital staff and patients,” the company adds. “Such organisms include Legionella spp, Pseudomonas spp, Aspergillus spp, Cryptosporidium spp, and Mycobacterium spp, which may be of particular concern to immunocompromised patients. The filters’ 0.2 µm membrane effectively prevents their passage, thus providing an instantaneous barrier to protect this vulnerable patient group. The filters can be quickly connected to either taps or showers to ensure immediate and complete protection against waterborne microorganisms.”
