That's a question all health care facilities need to ask on a regular basis. You might be surprised to learn that very often the presence of Legionella bacteria exists in many water distribution systems of large buildings including hotels, factories, apartment complexes, hospitals and nursing homes.
Cooling towers, associated with the central cooling systems in these buildings, have long been thought to be the major source for Legionella, but that is not always the case. Other sources include mist machines, humidifiers, whirlpool spas, drinking fountains and any place where standing water and organic sediment can stimulate the growth of Legionella bacteria.
Most of us come into contact with Legionella more often than we likely recognize. Fortunately for most healthy individuals our normal defense systems fend off the bacteria with little of no ill effects. Legionella is not contagious, or in other words you can't "catch it" from someone else. The Legionella organism is aerosolized in water and people inhale the droplets which carry the bacteria into their body. Another passage way is through aspiration or choking such that secretions in the mouth get past the normal choking reflexes and instead of going into the esophagus and stomach, they enter the lungs. Smokers and patients with aspiration precautions are most at risk for this common mode of transmission.
Contact with Legionella is not normally serious except with high-risk individuals such as heavy smokers, those with lung disease and the frail elderly with low immune systems and risk of aspirations. Symptoms are flu like with fatigue, weakness, high fever, nausea, ache, diarrhea and stomach discomfort.
Treatment for Legionella is the use of appropriate antibiotics and is generally defensible with excellent outcomes. For people whose immune systems are compromised, prolonged hospitalization, complications and death can occur. Often, Legionella is not tested for or diagnosed and the symptoms are simply treated similarly and appropriately as for pneumonia or flu with the same excellent outcomes.
At Kirkhaven, we had a resident hospitalized and diagnosed with Legionella last week. It appears to be a very isolated case and the resident is back at Kirkhaven and doing very well. We have undertaken a comprehensive heightened awareness for any other suspected cases and have initiated appropriate precautions and testing to mitigate risk and identify the possible source. We have several standard preventative maintenance programs that have been in effect for years to minimize the risk of Legionella growth, but recognize that no plan is 100% effective.
We are working collaboratively with the Health Department, who is well versed and experienced in working through the many incidents of Legionella that occur in similar situations. Our team of clinicians, medical staff, facility maintenance and administration is doing a great job addressing the issue and communicating effectively. It makes me very proud and comfortable knowing that all the proper steps are being taken in response to this incident.
If it turns out to be an isolated incident of no major consequences, we will be thankful and appreciative of the response team's immediate and appropriate actions. If it turns out to be a systemic problem that requires remediation, we will be equally thankful and appreciative of the response team's immediate and appropriate action.
Legionella is a problem that can exist in any environment and requires constant attention to control and abate. The risks to individuals is much greater in hospitals, nursing homes and places where individuals with compromised immune systems reside. Understanding the risks and knowing the precautions are important.
Thank you to the Kirkhaven response team for ensuring the continued safety and comfort of our residents. You are an awesome and dedicated team!
No comments:
Post a Comment