CIC Questions January 25, 2019

Environment of Care The appropriate hot water temperature for laundering linen is: 160o F 140o F 165o F 145o F

Environment of Care The appropriate hot water temperature for laundering linen is: 160o F 140o F 165o F 145o F Rationale: Hot water provides an effective means of destroying organisms. A temperature of at least 160o F (71o C) for a minimum of 25 minutes is recommended for hot water washing

Environment of Care The manager of linen services has contacted you for guidance regarding transporting clean and soiled linens in the same vehicle. Your response is: Clean and Dirty linens should never be transported together in the same vehicle Clean and Dirty linens can be transported together in the same vehicle if they are clearly separated Clean and Dirty linens can be transported together without the need to separate the items The health department must give permission to transport clean and dirty linen together

Environment of Care The manager of linen services has contacted you for gjidance regarding transporting clean and soiled linens in the same vehicle. Your response is: Clean and Dirty linens should never be transported together in the same vehicle Clean and Dirty linens can be transported together in the same vehicle if they are clearly separated Clean and Dirty linens can be transported together witout the need to separate the items The health department must give permission to transport clean and dirty linen together Rationale: Clean and soiled textiles may be transported in the same vehicle if functional separation is maintained using physical barriers and/or space separation sufficient to protect clean textiles from soiled textiles

Environment of Care The director of Facilities informs the IP that water testing of the hospital’s hot water tanks and distal sites was positive for Legionella. The IP should consider disinfection of the hospital’s water system if: There have been no prior cases of healthcare-associated legionellosis The IP conducts prospective surveillance of healthcare-associated legionellosis and there are no cases The colonization rate for distal water sites in the hospital is >30% The hospital risk manager asks for the disinfection to be completed

Environment of Care The director of Facilities informs the IP that water testing of the hospital’s hot water tanks and distal sites was positive for Legionella. The IP should consider disinfection of the hospital’s water system if: There have been no prior cases of healthcare-associated legionellosis The IP conducts prospective surveillance of healthcare-associated legionellosis and there are no cases The colonization rate for distal water sites in the hospital is >30% The hospital risk manager asks for the disinfection to be completed

Environment of Care The colonization rate for distal water sites in the hospital is >30% Rationale: Legionella pneumonophila is a common cause of both community-acquired and Healthcare-associated pneumonia. Clinical manifestations are nonspecific, but high fever, diarrhea and hyponatremia are often distinctive. Infection has been linked to drinking water distribution systems of acute care and extended care facilities. Health departments and public agencies have issued infection prevention guidelines aimed at preventing outbreaks. These guidelines include diagnostic testing for legionella infection and culturing of the drinking water distribution system. Disinfection of the water distribution system includes: Superheating and flushing with hyperchlorination as a short-term approach to terminating an outbreak Copper-silver ionization has been validated for long-term systemic disinfection Chlorine dioxide is a promising alternative disinfection method. Disinfection of the water distribution system should be considered if Evidence of a prior case(s) of Healthcare-associated legionellosis Greater than 30% colonization of distal sites in the water system Prospective surveillance for legionellosis detects a healthcare-associated case