Hospital-acquired legionnaires disease in a university hospital: impact of the copper-silver ionization system.
We evaluated the impact of the copper-silver ionization system in a hospital where hyperendemic nosocomial legionellosis and was present and all previous disinfection measures had failed. After implementation of the copper-silver ionization system, environmental colonization with Legionella species decreased significantly, and the incidence of nosocomial legionellosis decreased dramatically, from 2.45 to 0.18 cases per 1000 patient discharges.
Mòdol
Josep
J
Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, 08916, Spain. jmmodol.germanstrias@gencat.net
Sabrià
Miquel
M
Reynaga
Esteban
E
Pedro-Botet
Maria L
ML
Sopena
Nieves
N
Tudela
Pere
P
Casas
Irma
I
Rey-Joly
Celestino
C
D000390:Air Ionization; D003300:Copper; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004203:Disinfection; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007875:Legionella / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007877:Legionnaires' Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008284:Maintenance and Engineering, Hospital / Q000379:methods*; D012834:Silver; D014871:Water Microbiology; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
D012834:Silver; D003300:Copper