AAMI ST108: Ensuring Water Quality in Medical Device Processing
The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) introduced Standard ST108 in 2023 to replace the previous AAMI TIR34:2014/(R)2021 standard. AAMI ST108 includes guidelines on: AAMI ST108 is considered a best practice for patient safety and is likely to become a requirement of other standards, like The Joint Commission Water Management Standard EC.02.05.02. Categories of […]
CDC Report: Burkholderia multivorans Infections Linked to Hospital Ice Machines
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report published on October 3, 2024, linked Burkholderia multivorans infections to ice machines in multiple healthcare facilities in the western United States. This post summarizes key findings, implications, and recommended practices for healthcare providers to ensure patient safety. Background Burkholderia multivorans, a member of the Burkholderia cepacia […]
Plumbing 201 for Infection Preventionists: The Impact of Plumbing on Healthcare
Healthcare facilities are tasked with preventing the spread of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), and the intricacies of plumbing design and material selection play a significant role in this effort. The role of biofilm in promoting bacteria and pathogens in healthcare water systems including drains and the link between drinking water outbreaks like Legionella to biofilm in […]
Plumbing 101 for Healthcare Infection Preventionists
As an infection preventionist, ensuring patient safety is a top priority. Access to clean and safe drinking water is crucial throughout patient care, making plumbing a critical component in maintaining a safe healthcare environment. In this blog, we will discuss the importance of plumbing in infection prevention, plumbing equipment associated with increased infection risk, and […]
New Study Reveals the Role of Water Systems in Mycobacteria Contamination of Medical Devices
According to a recent breakthrough study published in Nature’s Scientific Reports, researchers have successfully isolated Mycobacterium saskatchewanense from medical devices for the first time. The study identified the healthcare facility’s water system as the likely source of contamination. Mycobacterium saskatchewanense is a non-tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) commonly found in soil and water environments. While not as […]
Infection Prevention through Clean Water: How Healthcare Facilities Can Mitigate Healthcare-Associated Infections from Water
Healthcare-associated infections or HAIs are infections people get while they are receiving health care for another condition. These infections can happen in all types of healthcare settings and are a significant cause of patient illness and death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 31 patients experience a healthcare-associated infection on any […]
Cluster of Carbapenemase-Producing Carbapenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Among Patients in an Adult Intensive Care Unit
MEGAN E. CAHILL, MARTHA JAWORSKI, VICTORIA HARCY, ERIN YOUNG, D. CAL HAM, PAIGE GABLE, KRIS K. CARTERCDC, MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY WEEKLY REPORT, AUGUST 2023 IntroductionThe report discusses an examination into the infections of carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CP-CRPA) in an Idaho hospital (Hospital A) between September 2021 and January 2022. The infections present a significant challenge […]
Hospitalizations Due to Selected Infections Caused by Opportunistic Premise Plumbing Pathogens and Reported Drug Resistance in the United States Older Adult Population
ELENA N. NAUMOVA, ALEXANDER LISS, JYOTSNA S. JAGAI, IRMGARD BEHLAU, JEFFREY K. GRIFFITHSPALGRAVE MACMILLAN, JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY, SEPTEMBER 2016 IntroductionThe study explores the health implications of opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens (OPPP) in US drinking water, particularly focusing on vulnerable populations like the elderly. These pathogens have gained attention due to the Flint Water Crisis, […]
CDC Report Links Cluster of Healthcare-Associated Infections to Water System
A report published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on August 4, 2023 linked a cluster of healthcare-associated infections to an Idaho hospital’s potable water system. According to the report, two patients who stayed in the same ICU room four months apart were found to be infected with carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CP-CRPA). Carbapenem-resistant organisms, such […]
