Biologically Safe Water Filters

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has recently released a report showing that adult patients with health care associated infections had to stay an average of 19 days longer in the hospital than those adult patients who did not develop HAI’s.  The average cost of treating these patients was $43,000 more expensive than treating those without HAI’s.  Ultrafilters are one means of dealing with infection issues.

Under CMS’ new hospital inpatient prospective payment system, final rule for fiscal year 2011, hospitals must report central line associated bloodstream infections every 3 months.  The data will be posted on the Hospital Compare website.  Many states already require reporting (21 states).

The rules for financial penalties to hospitals with HAI problems are being developed.  The solution to HAI’s will require changes in operational protocols and the environments of care.  The continued over-use of antibiotics will not solve infection costs.  As HAI data is made public, patients will choose where to have surgery, etc.  Hospitals will have to solve this problem in the near future since they will have to pay for the costs associated with the infection. A recent article, One Superbug Infection Costs Hospital $60,000 pertains to surgical related infections.  Catheter related bloodstream infections (CRBSI) can go as high as $90,000 and are thought to be more prevalent than surgical related infections.

The Nephros Dual-Stage Ultrafilter has a .005 micron membrane which exceeds the CDC recommendations of .02 micron bacterial filtration. The DSU is a cost effective method of providing biologically pure water at the point of use.

Hospital water sources need to be filtered in order to reduce hospital acquired infections (HAI’s).  Removing dirt/debris and debriding eschar requires water that will minimize the bio-burden in the wound. 

Filtering hospital water just prior to patient use (showers, sinks, whirlpools, etc) reduces the risk of infection.  The Nephros DSU is a .005 micron filter (most other filters are .02 micron) that should last about 3-6 months depending on usage.  The filter is easy to change, using quick disconnect couplings.  The Nephros DSU is a cost-effective solution to waterborne infections.  See specifications.

Potential sources of waterborne organisms can be found throughout hospital water systems; in faucets, showers, water used for respiratory therapy, ice machines, etc.  Many aquatic microorganisms can survive and flourish in water with minimal nutrients and can be transferred to vulnerable hospital patients directly (e.g., inhalation, ingestion, surface absorption) and indirectly (e.g., by instruments and utensils). 

HAI’s (hospital acquired infections) are the second largest patient safety issue that healthcare organizations face every day. More than 90,000 patients die annually.  The financial burden is escalating: Nearly $20 billion in avoidable costs and lost revenue.  Today, more and more states are requiring that organizations report HAIs; and with lower Medicare reimbursements on the horizon, it is now time to take a new look at your own approach to HAIs.

The Nephros DSU has a .005 micron membrane that can filter out biological contaminants, thus reducing the incidence of HAI’s. 

William Costerton, PhD, spoke at the 30th Annual Dialysis conference (ADC) in Seattle and provided an excellent site that highlights the problems of biofilm in medical water systems.

Dr. Costerton indicated that biofilms are present in 80% of infections.  Biofilms can cause infections in ICU’s, Burn Units, and Dialysis; plus, they can be found in dental unit water lines.  Biofilms have even been found attached to a patient’s pacemaker.

The Nephros DSU is a .005 micron filter - which can filter out these biofilms.  Expected life span is approximately 3 months on a standard faucet and 1 year when used post RO (reverse osmosis).

Hospital acquired infections killed 48,000 patients and cost $8.1 billion in 2006.  A study released by Resources for the Future focused on hospital-acquired pneumonia and sepsis. The study estimated that 1.7 million healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are diagnosed every year.According to the study a lapse in infection control can lead to extra days in the hospital and in some cases death.

Hospital water systems are often overlooked and can be the source for many of these infections. High risk areas such as ICU, transplant, oncology, hematology, burn unit, dialysis, etc. can benefit from the new Nephros Dual Stage Ultrafilter (DSU). The DSU filters to .005 microns which exceeds the CDC recommendations of .02 micron bacterial filtration. The DSU is a cost effective method of providing biologically pure water at the point of use.

Severe burn victims need their wounds scrubbed to prevent infection and to speed up the healing process.  There is growing support for washing burns with mild soap and tap water.  Once a burn wound has been cleaned, it should be thoroughly rinsed.

Studies show that, in practice, most burn units shower their patients with tap water.  the goal of cleansing is to remove dirt and debris, facilitate debridement of eschar and minimize the bioburden in the wound

When showering or using a whirlpool for physical therapy, the risks of infection from hospital water sources can be significantly reduced by filtering the water just prior to patient use.  The Nephros DSU is available for showers, sinks, whirlpools, ice machines, etc.  This filter is a .005 micron filter.  Most other filters only filter down to .02 microns.

The DSU should last about 3 months (vs 1-2 weeks) depending on use.  The filter is easily changed out using quick disconnect couplings.  The Nephros DSU provides a cost-effective method for eliminating waterborne pathogens and providing biologically pure water.  See specifications here.

One “Superbug” can cost a hospital $60,000.  Researchers at Duke University found that patients required more than 3 weeks of additional hospitalization after acquiring an infection while in the hospital.

The study suggests hospital administrators and infection control personnel should use these costs to design and evaluate specific preventative interventions.

The Nephros DSU (Dual Stage Ultrafilter) is designed to filter water used in ICU’s, burn units, etc.  This .005 micron filter will eliminatea variety of bacteria, parasites and fungi.

A new initiative was announced by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, to fight costly and dangerous health care-associated infections (HAI’s).

According to the Oct. 23/PRNewswire-USNewswire article, nearly 2 million patients develop HAI’s, which contribute to 99,000 deaths each year and $28-$33 billion in health care costs.

Hospital water systems are a source of many infections.  Water purification will reduce or eliminate these waterborne infections.  Nephros Dual Stage Ultrafilters can be easily installed (and replaced); thus allowing healthcare facilities to eliminate bacteria, viral agents, cysts, fungi and biological endotoxins at the point of use.

Excerpts from an online article - P. aeruginosa’s occurence in drinking water is probably related more to its ability to colonize biofilms in plumbing fixtures (i.e., faucets, showerheads, etc.)

P. aeruginosa can cause a wide range of infections, and is a leading cause of illness in immunocompromised individuals.  In particular, it can be a serious pathogen in hospitals (Dembry et al. 1998)

P. aeruginosa is also a major pathogen in burn and cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and causes a high mortalitly rate in both populations. (Molina et al. 1991; Pollack 1995)

Tap water appears to be a significant route of transmission in hospitals, from colonization of plumbing fixtures.  Infections and colonization can be significantly reduced by placement of filters on the water taps.

Nephros Dual Stage Ultrafilters are available for sinks, showers, burn unit tubs and post RO/DI water treatment equipment.

PMID: 19484589 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Rev Environ Contam Toxicol. 2009;201:71-115

1. Risk assessment of Pseudomonas aeruginios in water.

Mena KD, Gerba CP University of Texas-Houston School of Public Health, Houston, Texas, USA