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Cleaning + disinfecting nebulizer and aerobica
MAC & Bronchiectasis | Last Active: Aug 28, 2023 | Replies (107)Comment receiving replies
You are like me! So confused. We've used compressor-style nebulizers for over 30 years. Replaced neb cup/mouthpiece/tubing every 3 months when using daily, otherwise a little longer. Never was told any different by Pulmo, ENT, primary, Respiratory Therapists, hospital...and never got an infection from nebulizing.
Always washed in hot cup and mouthpiece in soapy water daily (If ill, also sterilized weekly) & dried tubing by running the compressor if needed. When I got MAC, pulmo nurse asked how I cleaned neb & said good - do your Acapela the same. Now I read replace tubing every 2 weeks, 2 months...NJH says 2 weeks, one nebulizer site says "with the mouthpiece" and another says every 6 months. No one has shown me any research based data about the frequency of replacement.
How did I solve this? Switched to a mist/impeller style neb, without tubing. Handheld is easier for me anyway.
Question for anyone here who has time to search: Can you find any research-based evidence that one can be infected with any pathogen from nebulizer tubing, or that nebulizer tubing from a properly cleaned and maintained nebulizer has been proven to harbor MAC, NTM, pseudomonas or pneumococcus?
Sue
Replies to "You are like me! So confused. We've used compressor-style nebulizers for over 30 years. Replaced neb..."
Hi Sue,
Newly diagnosed with MAC and shopping for a nebulizer. Your comment "switched to a mist/impeller style", You have been at this a long time so would you recommend just buying one of the hand helds and not messing with the compressor types? Do you see any difference in their outputs?
Thanks for your input. Have read thru miles of these posts since the diagnosis and am getting quite an education. What a great forum.
Frank
Sue, would you mind sharing a link or a photo of your nebulizer? What parts do you sterilize and how/often?
NJH recommended Ombra compressor with its accessories, 2 cup + 2 tubes, for me and was advised to change tubes every month and cups every 6 months. I bough extra tubes on Amazon, but are of a lesser quality. They advised to wash the cup daily with soap and warm water with agitation and sterilize by boiling weekly for 10 min, or sterilize daily by boiling or using baby bottle sterilizer.
What surprises me is their recommendation to get a new compressor every year. It has been a year for my compressor and it is in an excellent running condition. Does anyone know why it should be replaced this frequently? The unit comes with 6 small filters to change every 2 months.
Most recently, I got a Pari Trek S for traveling. Would anyone recommend it for daily use and why? How long will it last with daily use?
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Thanks, Sue, for this info. I will be starting airway clearance and am interested in the brand of the handheld nebulizer you use.
Thank you.
J