Pneumonia, Sterilization & Heated Hose

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Starlette
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Pneumonia, Sterilization & Heated Hose

Post by Starlette » Thu Apr 20, 2017 8:04 am

Good morning everyone,

Last 2 - 3 weeks, I have had a serious out of pneumonia. This morning, as I was cleaning my mask, I thought about sanitizing it.
I am asking what you consider the best way to do so. In addition, I would like to do the same thing with my heated hose.
With the heated hose, how do I clean and sanitize it as well?

Starlette

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Julie
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Re: Pneumonia, Sterilization & Heated Hose

Post by Julie » Thu Apr 20, 2017 8:23 am

Unless you sanitize everything else in your waking life, I'm not sure there's any point. And you will weaken your immune system by trying to do so in any case. A baby wipe will take care of anything on the mask and I wouldn't worry about the hose as the air only goes one way - from the machine to you, after first having gone through the filter at the back of the machine.

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Okie bipap
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Re: Pneumonia, Sterilization & Heated Hose

Post by Okie bipap » Thu Apr 20, 2017 9:22 am

If it would give you peace of mind liberalize your equipment, you can soak everything in a diluted vinegar solution of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water. Soak items for 20 minutes and rinse well. This is the directions I was given by Mr DME when I first got my equipment. I follow this procedure after I have a bout of bronchitis.

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HoseCrusher
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Re: Pneumonia, Sterilization & Heated Hose

Post by HoseCrusher » Thu Apr 20, 2017 1:17 pm

Since it is possible for pneumonia to be contagious for some period it may be good to clean and disinfect until you recover. I don't think you can sterilize effectively at home.

Control III or Respiclean are chemical disinfectants that you can use. Be sure to follow the directions and pay attention to the cautions. Acetic acid (vinegar) will work to some extent but under adverse conditions you may want to go with something a little more powerful.

In order to disinfect you first need to clean and then you need to have the chemical in contact with the part for some period of time. This usually involves some kind of soak. If you are not coughing or vomiting or experiencing excessive saliva drooling, your hose may not need any attention and you can just paying attention to your mask.

If you need to disinfect your hose just put the disinfectant solution into a bucket and soak the hose in it. At the end of the soak time you can dump the disinfectant solution and fill the bucket with a rinse solution and wiggle the hose in the bucket to rinse. Then pull it out and let it drain and air dry. Any small amount of moisture will quickly dissipate as soon as you turn your machine on as you get ready to go to sleep.

The goal is to remove any bacteria and virus that causes pneumonia from your mask. This way it won't have the opportunity to re-infect you. Household germs don't become an issue until you are near death.

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Re: Pneumonia, Sterilization & Heated Hose

Post by Wulfman... » Thu Apr 20, 2017 1:49 pm

Starlette wrote:Good morning everyone,

Last 2 - 3 weeks, I have had a serious out of pneumonia. This morning, as I was cleaning my mask, I thought about sanitizing it.
I am asking what you consider the best way to do so. In addition, I would like to do the same thing with my heated hose.
With the heated hose, how do I clean and sanitize it as well?

Starlette
What specific type of pneumonia?
Did you get a pneumonia shot? (that's the best way to keep it from happening)

http://www.belmarrahealth.com/is-pneumo ... pneumonia/

http://www.webmd.com/lung/tc/pneumonia-topic-overview#1

Unless the actual germs were sucked into your CPAP air intake and got past your filters, water, etc., the likelihood of your equipment holding the germs/viruses/bacteria is highly remote. And, should not reinfect you if they are there.
Just soap and water should be sufficient to clean your mask. "Sanitizing" is not necessary. The air goes ONE WAY through the machine. You couldn't blow hard enough against the air to get anything back down the hose.

At around this very time in 2011, I ended up in the hospital with pneumonia (coughing up blood, etc.) and was very sick for about a week (lower 3rd lobe of the right lung was where it was located). I tried to find out how I could have contracted it, but none of the medical folks at the hospital could tell me. I was curious as to IF they would suggest that it came from the equipment (since that's been a big source of conjecture on this forum), but they never even hinted that could be a source. The only thing they DID say was that there had been LOTS of local cases of it around that time. So, it was apparently something that was "going around" and many people caught it.

If you haven't......get the shot.


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Violet West
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Re: Pneumonia, Sterilization & Heated Hose

Post by Violet West » Thu Apr 20, 2017 7:10 pm

I had pneumonia in February. I cleaned my reservoir with diluted vinegar and changed the headset and nasal pillows out (it was time anyway). Maybe it wasn't necessary, but it made me feel better. I also change my toothbrush after I get sick.

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Re: Pneumonia, Sterilization & Heated Hose

Post by chunkyfrog » Thu Apr 20, 2017 7:32 pm

I vote for the (pneumonia) vaccine.
It's my body, and I choose to not get sick in the first place.

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Re: Pneumonia, Sterilization & Heated Hose

Post by Guest » Thu Apr 20, 2017 7:50 pm

Violet West wrote:I had pneumonia in February. I cleaned my reservoir with diluted vinegar and changed the headset and nasal pillows out (it was time anyway). Maybe it wasn't necessary, but it made me feel better. I also change my toothbrush after I get sick.
I also like to use vinegar or bleach around the house. As hose crusher mentioned to be effective contact must be made for some time to kill any bacteria. Keep in mind both are corrosive so I wouldn't use it on a heated hose. I like Violets idea of just changing those things out. Hopefully you do have spare supplies?
Clean and wipe down the used stuff and set them aside for later use.

Get Well Soon.

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Re: Pneumonia, Sterilization & Heated Hose

Post by SewTired » Thu Apr 20, 2017 11:25 pm

What they told me at the hospital was that people who never cleaned their equipment were the ones who would get respiratory issues from cpap. Even once a month was enough to keep you from getting sick.

Dawn dishwashing detergent is a better 'sanitizer' than vinegar/water mixture IMHO but pickle odor is probably preferable for a lot of folks. Control III probably even better, but I only use that with equipment I get used and resistant pink slime at the end of the season. Your mask should be cleaned frequently when you are sick, even if you are usually lackadaisical on it. Who wants to breathe into a snotty mask?

I do not know anybody personally who has developed pneumonia while using a cpap. I have been pneumonia and bronchitis free since I started treatment for silent acid reflux so even I am not an example!

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Re: Pneumonia, Sterilization & Heated Hose

Post by Slartybartfast » Sat Apr 22, 2017 10:06 pm

You can't re-infect yourself. Once you immune system eradicates a bacterium or virus, you have immunity for months to years to that organism, or that strain of organism. Just like getting the shot, except your body has to do the work. Ads on late night TV and AM radio talk shows would have you believe otherwise. They breathlessly intone that you can get sick from a dirty CPAP hose. But they're selling cleaning agents. Follow the money . . .

If you insist on cleaning your hose or humidifier, though, don't expect vinegar to do the job. It's fine for breaking up lime scale deposits. But vinegar is a weak acid, and most bacteria are acid tolerant to some degree. Clean with a dilute solution of Clorox in warm water, with a few drops of dish-washing detergent mixed in as a wetting agent. Then rinse with plenty of clean water and air dry.

Going on 7 years and never cleaned my machine or hose. The humidifier pan, yes, but nothing else.

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Re: Pneumonia, Sterilization & Heated Hose

Post by TASmart » Sun Apr 23, 2017 8:55 am

Slartybartfast wrote:You can't re-infect yourself. Once you immune system eradicates a bacterium or virus, you have immunity for months to years to that organism, or that strain of organism. Just like getting the shot, except your body has to do the work. Ads on late night TV and AM radio talk shows would have you believe otherwise. They breathlessly intone that you can get sick from a dirty CPAP hose. But they're selling cleaning agents. Follow the money . . .

If you insist on cleaning your hose or humidifier, though, don't expect vinegar to do the job. It's fine for breaking up lime scale deposits. But vinegar is a weak acid, and most bacteria are acid tolerant to some degree. Clean with a dilute solution of Clorox in warm water, with a few drops of dish-washing detergent mixed in as a wetting agent. Then rinse with plenty of clean water and air dry.

Going on 7 years and never cleaned my machine or hose. The humidifier pan, yes, but nothing else.
do you ever wash your hands?
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Re: Pneumonia, Sterilization & Heated Hose

Post by HoseCrusher » Sun Apr 23, 2017 9:27 am

Slartybartfast wrote:You can't re-infect yourself. Once you immune system eradicates a bacterium or virus, you have immunity for months to years to that organism, or that strain of organism. Just like getting the shot, except your body has to do the work. Ads on late night TV and AM radio talk shows would have you believe otherwise. They breathlessly intone that you can get sick from a dirty CPAP hose. But they're selling cleaning agents. Follow the money . . .

If you insist on cleaning your hose or humidifier, though, don't expect vinegar to do the job. It's fine for breaking up lime scale deposits. But vinegar is a weak acid, and most bacteria are acid tolerant to some degree. Clean with a dilute solution of Clorox in warm water, with a few drops of dish-washing detergent mixed in as a wetting agent. Then rinse with plenty of clean water and air dry.

Going on 7 years and never cleaned my machine or hose. The humidifier pan, yes, but nothing else.


I'll take the other side of this...

Once your body has healed, you are correct. However, in the middle of the battle your body hasn't formed the immunities and it is possible to re-infect.

The question is When are the immunities formed? Upon contact or upon recovery?

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Re: Pneumonia, Sterilization & Heated Hose

Post by palerider » Sun Apr 23, 2017 2:12 pm

TASmart wrote:
Slartybartfast wrote:You can't re-infect yourself. Once you immune system eradicates a bacterium or virus, you have immunity for months to years to that organism, or that strain of organism. Just like getting the shot, except your body has to do the work. Ads on late night TV and AM radio talk shows would have you believe otherwise. They breathlessly intone that you can get sick from a dirty CPAP hose. But they're selling cleaning agents. Follow the money . . .

If you insist on cleaning your hose or humidifier, though, don't expect vinegar to do the job. It's fine for breaking up lime scale deposits. But vinegar is a weak acid, and most bacteria are acid tolerant to some degree. Clean with a dilute solution of Clorox in warm water, with a few drops of dish-washing detergent mixed in as a wetting agent. Then rinse with plenty of clean water and air dry.

Going on 7 years and never cleaned my machine or hose. The humidifier pan, yes, but nothing else.
do you ever wash your hands?
what does that have to do with anything?

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Re: Pneumonia, Sterilization & Heated Hose

Post by palerider » Sun Apr 23, 2017 2:14 pm

HoseCrusher wrote:Once your body has healed, you are correct. However, in the middle of the battle your body hasn't formed the immunities and it is possible to re-infect.
you can't really "re-infect" if you're already infected, during the 'battle', you've formed the antibodies, or there wouldn't *be* a battle going on.

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Re: Pneumonia, Sterilization & Heated Hose

Post by HoseCrusher » Sun Apr 23, 2017 6:11 pm

How about this perspective...

If you are in the middle of the battle, and losing, you can add to your infection load by re-using a mask that hasn't been cleaned and is full of snot, phlegm, and spit from coughing and choking from the previous time you used the mask.

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