Vital Technologies, Inc.

Widely recognized as the second most contracted illness in a hospital setting, pseudomonas are responsible for 10.1% of all hospital-acquired infections. The name pseudomonas is an umbrella term. Broken down, there are twelve different strains. The most commonly acquired and drug resistant of these strains is pseudomona aeruginosa. Pseudomonas in general produce a toxin which destroy tissues.

The bacterium is ubiquitous in soil and water, and on surfaces in contact with soil or water. Pseudomonas have an ability to metabolize such a variety of substances that they are able to survive in many unexpected places. For example, they have been found in areas where pharmaceuticals are prepared. A simple carbon source, such as soap residue or cap liner-adhesives provide a suitable place for the Pseudomonads to thrive. Other unlikely places where they have been found include antiseptics and bottled mineral water.

Pseudomonas are opportunistic pathogens, meaning they exploit some break in the host defenses to initiate an infection. In fact, Pseudomonas are the epitome of an opportunistic pathogen of humans. The bacterium almost never infects uncompromised tissues, yet there is hardly any tissue that it cannot infect if the tissue defenses are compromised in some manner. The typical pseudomona infection may be seen as composed of three distinct stages; bacterial attachment and colonization, local invasion and disseminated systemic disease. However, the disease process may stop at any stage.

Pseudomonas cause urinary tract infections, respiratory system infections, dermatitis, chronic lung infections, soft tissue infections, ear and eye infections, bone and joint infections, gastrointestinal infections and a variety of systemic infections, particularly in patients with severe burns and in cancer and AIDS patients. Pseudomona infections are a serious problem in patients hospitalized with cancer, cystic fibrosis, and burns. The case fatality rate in these patients is near 50 percent.

The most feared characteristic of pseudomonas is their uncommonly high resistance to antibiotics. Not only do the cells have a very protective outer coat but the bacteria utilizes a system that pumps these drugs out of the cells before they are able to act. Additionally, their ability to colonize and form a biofilm make them even more difficult to treat. Only a few antibiotics are effective against pseudomona and even these antibiotics are not effective against all strains. Several vaccines are being tested but currently none are available for use. The futility of treating Pseudomonas infections with antibiotics is most dramatically illustrated in cystic fibrosis patients, virtually all of whom eventually become infected with a strain that is so resistant that it cannot be treated.

Within the hospital, P. aeruginosa finds numerous places to grow: improperly stored disinfectants, respiratory equipment, food, sinks, taps, toilets, showers and mops. Furthermore, it is constantly reintroduced into the hospital environment on fruits, plants, vegetables, as well by visitors and patients transferred from other facilities. Spread occurs from patient to patient on the hands of hospital personnel, by direct patient contact with contaminated areas, and by the ingestion of contaminated foods and water.

Pseudomona infections are difficult to identify because, given its ability to affect all tissues of the body, there is no single set of symptoms. Diagnosis and treatment of pseudomonas infections can be performed by specialists in infectious disease. Because the bacteria are commonly found in hospitals, many patients carry the bacterium without having a full-blown infection.

Most hospitals have measures in place to prevent hospital acquired infections. Some hospitals and other medical facilities have begun using Vital Oxide. When establishing procedures to reduce the occurrences of pseudomona infections, it is critical to know the disinfectant to be used is proven to kill these bacteria.