Hospital Water Systems and the Innovations Used to Prevent HAIs
Key takeaway.
Hospital water systems are an increasingly recognized source of healthcare-associated infections. This review surveys the innovations used to address them, from engineering controls to disinfection, and concludes that no single measure is sufficient on its own and that the focus should remain on basic infection prevention strategies.
The study.
Gettler and colleagues reviewed the mounting challenges posed by healthcare-associated infections linked to hospital water distribution systems. The review discusses outbreaks associated with premise plumbing contamination, water-containing medical devices, and drainage system biofilm reservoirs.
The authors survey a range of innovations used to address these challenges, spanning engineered or structural modifications to plumbing components, enhanced disinfection protocols for premise plumbing, and tools aimed at limiting biofilm formation. The review notes that no single measure has proven sufficient on its own and concludes that the focus should remain on basic infection prevention strategies.
Key findings.
- Hospital water systems are a recognized HAI source Premise plumbing, water-containing medical devices, and drainage system biofilm reservoirs are all discussed as routes for water-related healthcare-associated infections.
- Biofilm complicates standard disinfection Biofilm-embedded organisms in plumbing are difficult to address with cleaning and disinfection protocols alone.
- A range of innovations is being explored The review surveys engineering or structural modifications to plumbing, enhanced disinfection protocols, and tools aimed at limiting biofilm formation.
- Basic infection prevention remains central The authors conclude that no single measure is sufficient on its own and that the focus should remain on basic infection prevention strategies.
What this means for your facility.
This review is a useful map of how hospitals think about water-related infection risk, and where drains fit into that picture. It surveys a spectrum of measures - engineering controls, disinfection protocols, and biofilm-limiting tools - and concludes that no single measure is sufficient and that the focus should remain on basic infection prevention strategies. The review does not name waterless trap seals or one-way drain valves, and it does not rank engineering controls above disinfection.
Green Drain's waterless trap seal is a supportive engineering control. Its silicone one-way valve removes the standing water a conventional trap relies on and restricts the upward movement of air and aerosols from the drainage system into the occupied space. It complements, rather than replaces, hand hygiene, surface disinfection, and other infection prevention measures, and it does not remediate or remove an existing biofilm. No study, including this one, has tested a trap-seal barrier against an infection endpoint.
Full citation.
Related research.
Protect your facility's drains.
Green Drain's waterless trap seal is a supportive engineering control that restricts the upward movement of air and aerosols, backed by independent bench testing. See how it works for your industry.