A pragmatic approach to Pseudomonas

Here Dr Walker, and HPA colleague, Peter Hoffman, consultant clinical scientist at the Agency’s Laboratory of Healthcare-associated Infection, Microbiology Services, give a detailed overview of the key characteristics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms, and describe some of the most effective ways for controlling their spread in hospital water systems.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a well-known cause of healthcareassociated infections, particularly in augmented care units where patients are at increased susceptibility.1,2 One particular route of transmission was recently highlighted in outbreaks in babies at Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry in December 2011, and shortly afterwards at the Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital in Belfast (HEJ – May 2012). Initial testing indicated that P. aeruginosa was present in water from washhandbasins in those neonatal units. Subsequent testing has revealed that a small number of taps in many neonatal units in Northern Ireland were contaminated with P. aeruginosa. While the exact route of infection has not been identified, it is a significant possibility that tap water could be the source of some of these infections. Pragmatic precautions have since been put in place to prevent contact between babies and the water supply, as well as other actions, including replacement of all taps in all neonatal units in Northern Ireland. This article will summarise current knowledge of this phenomenon as it relates to healthcare estates.

The bacterium