Legionella, the AOU of Sassari: "No cases of infection during hospitalization."
The company's statement: "The presence of the bacteria in the water does not equate to the presence of the disease."Per restare aggiornato entra nel nostro canale Whatsapp
No cases of legionellosis "acquired during hospitalization" have been reported at the Santissima Annunziata hospital in Sassari.
The AOU is taking action following a complaint from a patient in the Hematology department, who reported being denied access to running water due to the risk of Legionella. "The cases of Legionnaires' disease admitted to the company's facilities in the past are attributable to infections that arose in the community and were not related to hospital stays," the company clarifies, adding that "the presence of the bacteria in water does not equate to the presence of the disease." It emphasizes that temperatures favor the bacteria, and for this reason, "the AOU has intensified monitoring of its hospitals' water supply this season, with particular attention to areas where the most vulnerable patients are treated," including the Hematology-Oncology department.
"It is precisely thanks to this enhanced monitoring activity," a statement states, "that it was possible to promptly identify the critical situation. As a precaution, and even before all the investigations were completed, the AOU temporarily limited water use in the affected services and immediately activated the protocol established for these situations."
The company continues, sanitization and safety measures have begun on the water network, "which have affected the water treatment and distribution systems and the restrooms. Among other measures, these included cleaning and sanitizing the affected systems, flushing individual terminals, and increasing water circulation in the sanitary networks. The AOU itself has made water available to patients in the ward, "so as to ensure continuity of care in conditions of maximum safety."
Once the above was completed, the hospital's medical director reopened the affected restrooms, it is explained, "maintaining the additional precautionary measures required by the protocol until the final outcome of the interventions has been verified." "The discovery of the bacterium in the environment does not equate to a case of legionellosis," emphasizes Paolo Castiglia, medical director of the AOU hospital and full professor of General and Applied Hygiene at the University of Sassari. "Legionella can be present in water systems, and for this very reason we conduct constant monitoring, which is further intensified during periods of higher temperatures. Identifying the critical situation allowed the hospital to intervene immediately and as a precaution, prioritizing patient safety, especially the most vulnerable. To date, we have not detected any cases of legionellosis acquired during hospitalization in our hospitals." The AOU concludes the statement by stating that it will continue to maintain a high level of attention to the problem.