Making hospital water safe, examined

 How can hospital staff determine whether a Pseudomonas outbreak is due to cross-contamination between patients and staff, or to the contamination of a systemic water supply, and how can we best protect our most vulnerable patients from infection with the array of pathogenic organisms lurking in hospitals? As Susan Pearson reports, these were among the questions discussed by leading microbiologists at a recent one-day “waterborne infections” seminar organised by Pall Medical in Glasgow.

Addressing an audience of microbiologists, estates, and infection control personnel, both the speakers and event chair, renowned international expert on Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks David Harper, emphasised both the importance of proper design and frequent checking of hospital water systems, and the value of point-ofuse (POU) filtration as a promising solution for both short and longer-term safety in the vicinity of high risk patient groups. The audience then heard an outline of the methods used to investigate outbreaks of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a new purpose-built hospital from consultant microbiologist Dr Michael Weinbren, director of infection control at the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust. A recent Department of Health warning on potential water contamination with Pseudomonas is currently stimulating interest in the issue. However UHCW saw a much earlier outbreak occur on its neonatal intensive care unit (ITU) at the University Hospital, Coventry in August 2005, soon after the first (West) wing opened. Dr Weinbren described how the contamination was tracked down to tap outlets, and terminated with the installation of new taps, use of sterile water for bathing babies, and alcohol gel on hands after washing. The largest private finance initiative project in Europe at the time of its build in 2005, University Hospital, Coventry (UHC) was constructed in three stages, with the central and East Wings opening in July 2006. However, within two weeks of these further wings opening, Pseudomonas was isolated again, from six patients in the general critical care unit (GCC) on the same day.

Preliminary investigation decided on