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Gamage SD, Ambrose M, Kralovic SM, Roselle GA. Water Safety and Legionella in Health Care: Priorities, Policy, and Practice. Infect Dis Clin North Am 2017; 30:689-712. [PMID: 27515143 DOI: 10.1016/j.idc.2016.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Health care facility water distribution systems have been implicated in the transmission of pathogens such as Legionella and nontuberculous mycobacteria to building occupants. These pathogens are natural inhabitants of water at low numbers and can amplify in premise plumbing water, especially if conditions are conducive to their growth. Because patients and residents in health care facilities are often at heightened risk for opportunistic infections, a multidisciplinary proactive approach to water safety is important to balance the various water priorities in health care and prevent water-associated infections in building occupants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shantini D Gamage
- National Infectious Diseases Service, Specialty Care Services, Patient Care Services, Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3230 Eden Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA.
| | - Meredith Ambrose
- National Infectious Diseases Service, Specialty Care Services, Patient Care Services, Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420, USA
| | - Stephen M Kralovic
- National Infectious Diseases Service, Specialty Care Services, Patient Care Services, Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3230 Eden Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Medical Service, Cincinnati VA Medical Center, 3200 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA
| | - Gary A Roselle
- National Infectious Diseases Service, Specialty Care Services, Patient Care Services, Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3230 Eden Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Medical Service, Cincinnati VA Medical Center, 3200 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA
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