Preventing Waterborne Nosocomial Infections by Using Silver Ions to Reduce Bacterial Contamination in Hospital Showers

Abstract

In the United States, we often have the luxury to assume that water is uncontaminated and safe. Most of the time, this is true. However, at least a small amount of bacteria is present in any water system. In shower hoses, water may sit for hours or days without being used. The stagnant water acts as a reservoir for already present bacteria to reproduce until the water is flushed out with the next use. Certain hospitalized patients are especially susceptible to opportunistic pathogens sometimes found in water. At highest risk are those whose immune systems are greatly compromised or suppressed. At the University of Minnesota Medical Center – Fairview, the patients with the weakest immune systems reside in the bone marrow transplant units. Here, water quality is of the utmost important. Two methods were employed to reduce contamination in hospital showers. First, standard shower hoses were replaced with silver lined shower hoses in patient rooms. Silver ions are a known antimicrobial that are released into the water by the silver lining on the inside of the shower hose. Second, bacterial levels were measured before and after flushing out stagnant water. Silver ions showed varying success while flushing was consistently effective in reducing contamination.