High-risk patients

High-risk patients are those who are vulnerable to infection as a result of a compromised immune system, underlying health conditions and associated medical treatments. 

High-risk patient groups should include as a minimum:  

• haematology
• oncology
• cardiac surgery
• bone marrow and stem cell transplant patients
• neonatal, paediatric and adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients
• transplant
• burns
• any other patients that are severely immunocompromised through disease or treatment

The types of infection that water system-associated organisms may cause include:

• bloodstream (including CVC-associated bloodstream infection)
• respiratory (pneumonia)
• skin and soft tissue (including insertion site infections around any invasive device)
• surgical site infection (for example endocarditis after cardiac surgery, wound infections)
• urinary tract infection (UTI)
• disseminated disease

Patients may become infected, colonised before they become infected or may be colonised with no active infection.