Sterile Water NOT Necessary for Humidified CPAPs!

SleepGuy · Post by **SleepGuy** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 1:32 pm

With all the old threads out there about distilled water, daily cleaning/sterilization of equipment, I thought folks might be interested in this recent study reported in Chest Journal:

Using radioactive materials in a cpap humidifier, scientists demonstrated that no radioactive aerosols were produced, either with low or high flows.

The report concludes: "The convection-type humidifier produces water vapor but doees not aerosolize the water. We conclude that bacteria, other microorganisms, or even solutes that may be contained in the water cannot be transported into the air and thus will not be deposited in the lung. In order to avoid respiratory tract infections, streile water is not required, at least in this particular humidifier. We suggest that nonsterile tap water is probably a safe alternative." (emphasis added).

Wenzel, M. et al., "Sterile Water Is Unnecessary in a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Convection-Type Humidifier in the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Sydrome," Chest 2005;128:2138-2140. This article is available free online at http://www.chestjournal.com.

So other than hard water deposits, it looks like the science behind this is that tap water is actually OK to use in your cpap. It also stands to reason that daily cleaning of hoses etc. is unnecessary, at least from the standpoint of infection and disease vectors.

Good News!

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 1:59 pm

That's great news, now I can use water from the pond out back, It will be nice watching the tadpoles change to frogs in the HH. To bad they didn't include a backlight of the HH.

Warning: Take small fish out of the water, they will eat your tadpoles. Jim

Snoozing Gonzo · Post by **Snoozing Gonzo** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 2:20 pm

Thanks SleepGuy,

I guess the key in the study's conclusions is the "convection-type humidifier" as opposed to other types of non-steam room humidifiers that have had historical problems with collecting and speading a variety of nasty stuff. I have wondered about molds and fungi and this study seems to allow me to worry about something else.

I'll keep using distilled water due to the hardness of our local drinking water supply.

Chris

Sleepy-eyes · Post by **Sleepy-eyes** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 2:25 pm

I'm on a hard-water well out here in the country, so I'll keep using distilled. But thanks for the update.

S-Dubya · Post by **S-Dubya** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 2:32 pm

I have been on CPAP for 3.5 years and I only used distilled water for the first month. My DME rep says it just isn't necessary. The only advantage to distilled water is not dealing with hard water deposits. However, hard water deposits are easily removed with a brief soak in a vinegar solution once every week or two. The vinegar is also great for disinfecting the chamber.

MandoJohnny · Post by **MandoJohnny** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 3:29 pm

This echoes what a Fisher and Paykel rep said when he spoke at my last AWAKE meeting. He said he uses tap water in his own machine. He cited a 1995 study publishe in one of the respiratory journals that basically concluded the same thing as the study cited above. I still use distilled when I can get it, to minimize mineral deposits and I clean everything once a week for my own piece of mind. When I travel, I used purified bottled water, like Dansani only because I can smell the chorline in tap water and I find that unpleasant. It's like sleeping next to a swimming pool! But that's just me. But if I have to use tap, I use it and don't think much about it.

SleepGuy · Post by **SleepGuy** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 3:35 pm

I started on distilled, switched to my own RO water (I have an RO unit at my house) and sometimes just use tap water. It makes little difference to me personally. I have a disposable F/P water chamber and do note that the hard water leaves deposits that might be hard to clean (if I cared to).

But of course there's absolutely nothing wrong with using distilled water. This post was just to let people know that there are different options out supported by science.

Using a cpap is hard enough--I was just happy to find out there's at least one less thing I need not worry about.

bbeck4x4 · Post by **bbeck4x4** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 3:44 pm

now be careful with the RO water statement, but then again it's all that I have ever used

Brian

telly · Post by **telly** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 4:57 pm

Last night, I just used some bottled water since I was away from home and traveling. No access to distilled. It worked just fine.

lvwildcat · Post by **lvwildcat** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 5:35 pm

I'll stick to my distilled. The water here in Vegas is so disgusting that we won't even drink from the tap. Used tap a couple of nights when I was too lazy to go to store and my humidifier was slimy and even crusty in the morning.

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 7:18 pm

If you are not using distilled water ... be careful you don't blow up your machine.

Some tap water is known to be flamable.

roster · Post by **roster** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 7:24 pm

OK, that's good news. No more leaving hotels at midnight to find a WalMart and buy distilled water when I realize I did not pack some.

One question, which should I put in the humidifier first: the tap water or the radioactive materials?

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): humidifier, news

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 7:42 pm

rooster wrote:OK, that's good news. No more leaving hotels at midnight to find a WalMart and buy distilled water when I realize I did not pack some.

One question, which should I put in the humidifier first: the tap water or the radioactive materials.

Same as mixing water with acid ... water always goes in first. Otherwise you are likely to spash the radioactive materials all over you.

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 8:29 pm

ah who reads that rag anyway?

sure sounds like using non-distilled water is the smart thing to do, but if you don't have any empirical data to back that article up then we are not supposed to use it. Ah forget it, we'll use the non-empirical data, that word has be way over used here anyway. You can rest assured your tap water is EPA approved way before it gets to your tap (look for the USDA stamp)...

that is until you distill a gallon yourself and see what you are really getting for your money out of each gallon of that tap water.

gotta be them minerals that are flaming up.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 8:34 pm

DreamStalker wrote:
rooster wrote:OK, that's good news. No more leaving hotels at midnight to find a WalMart and buy distilled water when I realize I did not pack some.

One question, which should I put in the humidifier first: the tap water or the radioactive materials.
Same as mixing water with acid ... water always goes in first. Otherwise you are likely to spash the radioactive materials all over you.

Mask

Additional Comments: Machine:Resmed S7 Elite; Oracle Mask(YES! My DREAM mask!!)