Colonisation and infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa from the water supply constitutes a risk in neonatal hospital units. This short research note demonstrates that the use of correct hand hygiene minimises the risk of contamination of hands with P. aeruginosa even when heavily contaminated wash water is used.
BS EN 12780: 2002 (2002) Water quality. Detection and enumeration of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by membrane filtration . British Standards Institution (BSI).
2.
Crivaro V., Di Popolo A., Caprio A., Lambiase A., Di Resta M., Borriello T., Scarcello A., Triassi M., Zarilli R.(2009) Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a neonatal intensive care unit: molecular epidemiology and infection control measures. BMC Infectious Diseases9: 70.
3.
Department of Health (2010) Water sources and potential for infection from taps and sinks. https://publication.spaceforhealth.nhs.uk.
4.
Lam B., Lee J., Lau Y. ( 2004) Hand hygiene practices in a neonatal intensive care unit: a multimodal intervention and impact on nosocomial infection. Pediatrics114(14): 565-71.
5.
Pillsbury D., Rebell G., De Saint Phalle M., Ginsberg D. ( 1950) Factors affecting the rapid disappearance of bacteria placed on the normal skin. Journal of Investigative Dermatology14: 247-64.
6.
Weaving P. ( 2007) Editorial: Hand hygiene: it’s still important . British Journal of Infection Control8(5): 4-5.
7.
World Health Organization.World Alliance for Patient Safety (2009) Guidelines on hand hygiene in health care. WHO: Geneva.
