2023 Volume 38 Issue 3 Pages 99-106
Our hospital has performed a regular environmental inspection for Legionella bacteria at 123 sites in our feed-water system since 1997. Based on data collected since 2008, Legionella bacteria have been detected at 47 sites, such as bathrooms, lavatories, common shower units for patients, and dental units. The same type of Legionella bacteria has been detected repeatedly at 24 sites. These findings suggest that these bacteria took root in the feed-water system, which served as a favorable environment for growth and proliferation of the bacteria. It was difficult to implement effective environmental measures against Legionella bacteria for many years. However, we were able to take early and appropriate actions at individual sites by understanding daily proliferation of the bacteria and identifying the causes of growth based on the repeated environmental inspections. This suggests that it is important to perform monitoring on a periodic basis to maintain the effectiveness of any implemented measures. To date, there have been no cases of hospital-acquired legionellosis in our hospital. The quarterly regular environmental inspection costs 224,844 yen per year, but this regular inspection for Legionella bacteria is effective in preventing hospital-acquired legionellosis in control of hospital-acquired infections. It is important for individual facilities to take measures based on their particular facility structure in order to reduce infection risks for hospitalized patients and improve cost efficiency.
