Dad's CPAP machine has bugs?

[HJK43431]

Hello,

I have a question I would like to pose on behalf of my Dad who is computer illiterate. He uses a Resmed S9 autoset with humidifier and Qauttro mask for OSA. For the last week he has been waking up with a runny nose and sore throat which goes away by about lunch time, he has also had itchy skin reactions which he has never had before. He has only been using CPAP for 2 months now and he thinks there is 'bugs/germs' in his machine. His symptoms only started a week ago. I asked him if he has cleaned the mask, hose and tank and he says that the place that he bought it from said that wasn't required but from my research apparently cleaning those things IS required???

So is it possible that he has germs on his mask/hose/tank/machine that could cause these problems - and what is the best way for him to clean the mask/hose/tank to remove any germs? Also how does one clean INSIDE the actual machine itself or is that not required? I saw some product on the internet that uses O3 to clean the inside of the machine but I don't know how safe that is - has anyone heard of this O3 cleaner? Thanks in advance for any help.

[chunkyfrog]

Clean mask, hose and tubing as needed --many wash these parts every few days or weekly
in warm water and detergent, often with a vinegar water rinse, and a water rinse to get rid of the vinegar smell.
with daily wipedown of the parts touching the skin with CPAP or unscented baby wipes.
The tank needs to be only filled with distilled water, and washed however often is needed to prevent a science project from residing therein.

[LSAT]

You could boil the silicone cushion.....
viewtopic/t75749/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=74 ... il#p685240

[archangle]

That's terribly irresponsible for the DME to tell him no cleaning is required. It's clearly required in the manufacturer's documentation for the machine. I'll try and dig up the manuals later.

The mask, hose, and water tank should be cleaned. I do mine weekly. I think the manufacturer recommends daily minor cleaning on the hose and water tank and occasional more thorough cleaning.

I disassemble the mask and wash it in the dishwasher once a week. Your quattro is probably quite safe to do this with, but remove the headgear. I don't wash any dishes in the same load.

ResMed makes a tank that opens up and is dishwasher safe and some that don't open up. Both should be cleaned according to the manufacturer's instructions. Get a cleanable tank, even if you have to buy it for $35 or so out of pocket from cpap.com.

The hose should be cleaned, too, but the dishwasher won't work very well for that. I hook it to the faucet and run hot water through it.

There are air filters on the back of the machine that need to be changed every 6 months or so.

There is no way to clean the inside of the machine, and it's really not needed. Filtered air comes in from the outside and there's nothing for germs to feed on.

I am very skeptical about the O3 cleaning gadget, and you would still need to clean the stuff.

There is a ResMed sterilization and disinfection guide for the hose and mask, and probably the tank, but that's for switching between different patients. A thorough cleaning is all you really need.

It's rather unlikely that is what's causing your Dad's problems, with the possible exception of the itchy skin, but keep the stuff clean anyway.

Have you been using distilled water in the humidifier? You really should.

[archangle]

Quattro mask cleaning guide. Daily and weekly cleaning.

S9 AutoSet manual

Humidifier welcome guide with weekly and monthly cleaning instructions.

[chunkyfrog]

If Dad's skin is still itchy, mask liners might be a good idea--it also quiets down the face farts.
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/remzzz ... iners.html
http://www.padacheek.com/PAC_Maskliners.html
They also can be cut out of an old clean t-shirt.

[Pugsy]

Runny nose might be humidifier setting. He may need a little more moisture or a little less.
Sore throat probably from some mouth breathing...dry mouth thing...a little more moisture from the humidifier might help or one of the Biotene products made specifically to help with dry mouth symptoms.

If the itchies are only in the nasal area...it might just be dry skin or again just need more moisture. If itchies are inside the nose itself...probably the humidifier setting. When the nasal mucosa get dried out they respond with symptoms similar to allergy symptoms. A few people react the same way if they get too much moisture. So you have to play with the humidifier settings to see which way he would lean.

I agree with the others about cleaning though. Especially the mask which will accumulate skin oils and dead skin.