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State Regulation of Hospital Water Temperature

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2016

Adam S. Mandel ,
Mary Ann Sprauer ,
David H. Sniadack  and
Stephen M. Ostroff
Adam S. Mandel*
Affiliation:
Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
Mary Ann Sprauer
Affiliation:
Indiana State Department of Health, Indianapolis, Indiana
David H. Sniadack
Affiliation:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
Stephen M. Ostroff
Affiliation:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
*
Indiana University School of Medicine, 635 Barnhill Ds, Medical Science Building, Room 162, Indianapolis, IN 46202-5120
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Abstract

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to determine current regulations and policies in the United States concerning maximal water temperatures in acute care hospitals.

Design:

A standardized questionnaire administered by telephone to health department officials from 50 states and the District of Columbia.

See also page 636

Setting:

State Health Departments in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Results:

All states responded to the survey. Respondents from 39 states (77%) reported regulating maximum allowable hospital water temperature at a mean of 116°F (median, 120°F; mode 110°F; range, 110°F to 129°F). Twelve states (23%) have no regulations for maximum water temperature. Of the 39 states regulating maximum water temperature, 30 (77%) routinely monitor hospital compliance. Nine states (23%) conduct inspections only in response to a complaint or incident.

Conclusions:

There is great variation among the states with respect to the existence, enforcement, and specific regulations controlling hospital water temperature. Risk-benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses would help to assess the risk of scald injuries at water temperatures that will inhibit microbial contamination (Infect Con-trol HOsp Epidemiol1993;14:642-645).

Type
Brief Report
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 14 , Issue 11 , November 1993 , pp. 642 - 645
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1993 

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