Bacteriological quality of water in hemodialysis unit using ozone disinfection; a 12-year experience

Abstract

Introduction: A substantial quantity of pure/ultrapure water is required to initiate hemodialysis (HD)/hemofiltration (HF) therapy for patients with renal failure. Routine disinfection of the water treatment plant is highly needed to produce ultrapure/pure water for HD. To the best of our knowledge and belief, this study is the first of its type and origin to evaluate ozone disinfection levels in a HD unit. Objectives: This study was conducted in the Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) HD unit and examined the treated product’s bacteriological quality. Methods and Materials: The hospital record was utilized to obtain the product water culture reports based on the ozone disinfection and product water culture strategy. The product water culture fraction was investigated in concordance with the recommended limits. Results: Of 109 product water culture report samples, 108 (99.1%) aligned with the recommended limits. The product water was cultured via the sterile molten nutrient agar approach; satisfactory numbers of colony counts (<100 CFU/mL) were obtained within 24–48 hours of analysis. The product water purification/disinfection was undertaken per week via the 0.1 Parts-Per-Million ozone dose, administered consistently for 15 minutes. Conclusion: The purification/disinfection of the product water in a HD unit may be undertaken by expert supervision via the ozone disinfection strategy.