Protecting Patients and Building Occupants from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Other Pathogens

Of the hundreds of different types of Pseudomonas, the one that most often causes infections in humans is known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The bacteria can cause infections in the blood, lungs, and potentially other parts of the body.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa lives in the natural environment, often in places like soil and water. It can also sometimes be found in the built environment where it can be spread to people, especially those in healthcare settings. This includes multidrug-resistant strains of the bacteria that can spread from one person to another through contaminated hands, equipment, or surfaces.

The CDC warns those most at risk of infection include hospital patients:

• on breathing machines
• with devices such as catheters
• with wounds from surgery or burns

“In a single year, 2017, multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa caused over 32,000 infections among hospitalized patients and resulted in around 2,700 deaths in the United States,” said Derrick A. Denis, Senior Vice President for Clark Seif Clark. “Healthcare providers with patients at elevated risk of developing infections should pay careful attention to recommended infection control practices, including universal controls like hand hygiene and environmental cleaning to reduce the risk of spreading germs. Outside of the healthcare industry, there have also been numerous consumer products recalled over the years due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa contamination. This contaminant and pathogen has had a significant negative impact at a number of manufacturing plants.”

To help prevent infections in high-risk environments and contamination in product manufacturing facilities, the infection control, indoor environmental quality, and industrial hygiene professionals at CSC offer building assessments, testing, monitoring, consulting, and training services to identify and mitigate exposure to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other microbes. CSC also recently sponsored an educational video about Pseudomonas aeruginosa that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/WQ9KMLbgXEM

To learn more about this or other infection control, industrial hygiene, environmental, health, and safety services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com, or call 800-807-1118.

About Clark Seif Clark, Inc. (CSC)
CSC was established in 1996 to help clients in both public and private sectors address indoor air quality, occupational, and environmental, health, and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers, and real estate professionals.

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

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