Sinks: HAI Friend or Foe?

What is growing in your premise plumbing fixtures and possibly contributing to health careassociated infections (HAIs) in your facilities? Hand-washing has long been recognized as a leading means to reduce the transmission of disease, and therefore we install hand-washing stations frequently in the patient care environment. However, sink drains (specifically below the drain) can act as an ideal environment for antibiotic-resistant bacteria to thrive. With subject matter experts and leading researchers from the University of Virginia, in this session we will explore the unintended consequences of having so many sinks. We will explore the dynamics of transmission from patient to drain and back to patient. We will present the current understanding of the problem, assess challenges created by antibiotic-resistant bacteria in wastewater premise plumbing and explore potential solutions.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain how sink drains contribute to HAIs.
• Review research of transmission from wastewater premise plumbing fixtures to patients.
• Consider challenges and opportunities for potential solutions.
• Consider the risk of HAIs within a local design or built environment.

Speaker(s):

• Amy Mathers, MD, D(ABMM), Associate Professor of Medicine and Pathology Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health University of Virginia
• Timothy Jacoby, CHFM, CHC, Corporate Vice President Facilities Design & Construction Scripps Health
• Luke Tipler, RN, BSN, CPN, Clinical Research Coordinator Children’s Hospital and Medical Center & University of Nebraska Medical Center(UNMC)
• Tom Hicks, RA, COO, Safe Health Solutions, LLC
• Greg Koll, Safe Health Solutions, LLC