Keep Those Humidifiers Clean – Interesting Study

[locust78]

Maybe some of you have already seen this info (it looks like it's from 2007), but it's new to me. It really highlights the importance of keeping our gear (especially the humidifier) clean. I cringe when I think back to my early CPAP days, when I would wait until I would see stuff floating to clean my reservoir. I guess that didn't help my sinus issues any...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2556912

[Iowamv]

Interesting. Where can that kind of filter be purchased (between humidifier and mask tubing)?

[chunkyfrog]

Now I am torn between wanting to kill all the ugly little creepy things and wondering how much practice
I need to allow my immune system to have in order to maintain my already healthy immunity.
I much prefer having nothing about which to worry.

[RandyJ]

I have one of those filters from cpap.com but have never tried it, since I thought after purchasing it that it might decrease pressure delivery. Don't know if it's "hydrophobic" or not...

[Ford Guy]

I may have missed it, but I didn't see the term 'distilled water' mentioned.

[JDS74]

Interesting. Where can that kind of filter be purchased (between humidifier and mask tubing)?

You can get them at our host as well as http://www.cpapfiltersandsupplies.com/

I replace it once a month.

[Nozzelnut]

Why haven't machine makers added an Ultra Violet (UV) anti bacterial light to them?

Just curious; I'm new to this stuff.

[hegel]

I drain and dry my humidifier each morning with a paper towel. I used to leave it out to air dry, but I recently splurged and bought a So Clean unit precisely because I was nervous about bacteria forming in my tube or mask. I need to leave the humidifier in the machine now in order for the So Clean to do its thing. (It's autoset to go on at 10:00 a.m., after I'm at work.) I've never seen any residue in my humidifier however--not even deposits. (I use distilled water.)
Now I'm curious about those filters, but it seems like overkill, perhaps, even for me, a card carrying germophobe. I'd certainly like to hear more however!

[ChicagoGranny]

Well in the study they put bacteria in the humidifier water. So instead of a filter, I will just refrain from putting bacteria into my humidifier water.

This was most interesting to me:

Conclusion: Data suggest that patients with OSA being treated with nCPAP fitted with humidifiers may be aerosolizing bacteria, putting them at risk for developing respiratory infections ...

This has been a heated debate here at times with one side insisting bacteria could not be aerosolizing from the water and reaching the patient's respiratory system. I wonder if any of those taking a strong position on this want to comment in light of this study?

[Wulfman...]

Well in the study they put bacteria in the humidifier water. So instead of a filter, I will just refrain from putting bacteria into my humidifier water.

This was most interesting to me:

Conclusion: Data suggest that patients with OSA being treated with nCPAP fitted with humidifiers may be aerosolizing bacteria, putting them at risk for developing respiratory infections ...

This has been a heated debate here at times with one side insisting bacteria could not be aerosolizing from the water and reaching the patient's respiratory system. I wonder if any of those taking a strong position on this want to comment in light of this study?

I prefer to believe that (in many cases) a picture is worth a thousand words (or outdated junk studies). (take out the spaces)

http : // www . cpaptalk . com/viewtopic . php?f=1&t=8980&p=77135&hilit=+bacteria#p77135

The link to the original item on TAS is now broken, but the image is still in the above post by "ozij".

I think there are problems with this old study, but my advice has always been to "do what you feel comfortable with".
I never use heated humidity and have not since I began therapy 8 1/2 years ago. (Tried it a couple of nights and didn't like it.)
I've actually taken my original humidifier tank apart ONCE in that time and "cleaned" it. I always use distilled water. I dump and rinse my tank with hot water when I start a new gallon of distilled (about every three months).
I believe that the normal daytime exposures to other things and people are much more likely to infect us with something than from a tank of distilled water (heated or not). And, I very seldom get sick, but on the rare occasions, it's been from being exposed to somebody who was.

My ¢ ¢ worth.


Den

.

[ChicagoGranny]

Thanks Den.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8980&p=77135&hilit=+bacteria#p77135

[DoriC]

I didn't see any mention of using "distilled water"?

[hyperlexis]

Distilled water is going to be sanitary (not medically sterile) but once opened, left in a humidifier chamber, it's going to become contaminated and inoculated by bacteria, fungi, etc., on the plastic, and also from air being blown into the machine each night.

Dump the water and clean and dry the tank, ideally daily, and it should be fine.

But, leave the water in, blowing in more and more dust and spores into the tank of old water, and the microbes will simply grow and grow in the old water in the tank, like a petri dish. Then the microbes growing in the tank will then be aerosolized by the blowing air while the machine is on. I believe that's what the study showed.

[hegel]

My Kaiser sleep center nurse told me that warm water is a perfect environment for growing mold, mildew, bacteria etc. Makes sense to me. That's why I try to dry out my humidifier, hose and mask each day.

I thought that I read in one of the threads that there's a model of cpap machine which automatically blows air through the hose and mask after each night's sleep session; that is, when you get up in the morning. To dry out the hose and mask.

[RogerSC]

My Kaiser sleep center nurse told me that warm water is a perfect environment for growing mold, mildew, bacteria etc. Makes sense to me. That's why I try to dry out my humidifier, hose and mask each day.

I thought that I read in one of the threads that there's a model of cpap machine which automatically blows air through the hose and mask after each night's sleep session; that is, when you get up in the morning. To dry out the hose and mask.

Yes, ResMed S9's will blow low pressure air through the hose and mask after a session. Mine does that. I appreciate that little extra *smile*. Don't know if all S9 models do this, though, or if there are other manufacturers that do it.