"Experiences Of The First 16 Hospitals
Using Copper-Silver
Ionization
For Legionella Control: Implications For The Evaluation Of Other
Disinfection Modalities"
Vol. 24 No. 8 Infection
Control and Hospital Epidemiology
Janet E. Stout, PhD; Victor L. Yu, MD
The
"Conclusions" of the "Experiences of the First 16 Hospitals Using
Copper-Silver Ionization for Legionella Control: Implications for the
Evaluation of other disinfection modalities" state "This study
represents the final step in a proposed 4-step evaluation process of
disinfection systems that includes (1) demonstrated efficacy of
Legionella eradication in vitro using laboratory assays, (2) anecdotal
experiences in preventing legionnaires' disease in individual
hospitals, (3) controlled studies in individual hospitals, and (4)
validation in confirmatory reports from multiple hospitals during a
prolonged time (5 to 11 years in this study). Copper-silver ionization
is now the only disinfection modality to have fulfilled all four
evaluation criteria (Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2003;24:563-568)."
"Advantages
of copper-silver ionization are that it is more cost-effective than
hyperchlorination, is easier to maintain, and does not corrode piping
or plumbing fixtures, and in the events of mechanical failure,
recontamination is delayed for weeks, allowing a safety buffer.33-35 In
contrast, if a chlorinator fails, recontamination occurs rapidly.
Copper-silver ionization systems proved effective in 75% (12 of 16) of
the institutions in which thermal eradication, hyperchlorination, or
both had proven unsatisfactory."
All of the Copper-Silver
Ionization Systems used in the first 16 Hospitals in the United States
were Tarn-Pure ™ Systems.
Full Study (PDF)
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