Contamination from Nebulizers?

A

aljrbella

New member
Ok, I have been reading alot about nebulizer contamination studies for those with asthma and COPD. So, I am wondering....

My son does not have any symptoms yet. And, chest xrays are normal. But he has been prescribed albuterol 1X per day as precautionary.

Based on your more knowledgeable experiences, do you think this prescription is doing "more harm than good" or "more good than harm"? My instinct is to take him off of the nebulizer until I hear that he really needs it??

Thank you
 
A

aljrbella

New member
Ok, I have been reading alot about nebulizer contamination studies for those with asthma and COPD. So, I am wondering....

My son does not have any symptoms yet. And, chest xrays are normal. But he has been prescribed albuterol 1X per day as precautionary.

Based on your more knowledgeable experiences, do you think this prescription is doing "more harm than good" or "more good than harm"? My instinct is to take him off of the nebulizer until I hear that he really needs it??

Thank you
 
A

aljrbella

New member
Ok, I have been reading alot about nebulizer contamination studies for those with asthma and COPD. So, I am wondering....
<br />
<br />My son does not have any symptoms yet. And, chest xrays are normal. But he has been prescribed albuterol 1X per day as precautionary.
<br />
<br />Based on your more knowledgeable experiences, do you think this prescription is doing "more harm than good" or "more good than harm"? My instinct is to take him off of the nebulizer until I hear that he really needs it??
<br />
<br />Thank you
 
M

mom2lillian

New member
my instinct is to get a doctor that you trust and then either listen to their advice or provide them with rational for your concern and discuss it. You shouldnt ever make decisions for your helath care (let alone your childs) on a whim for something you think may correlate.

please provide the studies which have you ocncerned it would provide us with more to go on.
 
M

mom2lillian

New member
my instinct is to get a doctor that you trust and then either listen to their advice or provide them with rational for your concern and discuss it. You shouldnt ever make decisions for your helath care (let alone your childs) on a whim for something you think may correlate.

please provide the studies which have you ocncerned it would provide us with more to go on.
 
M

mom2lillian

New member
my instinct is to get a doctor that you trust and then either listen to their advice or provide them with rational for your concern and discuss it. You shouldnt ever make decisions for your helath care (let alone your childs) on a whim for something you think may correlate.
<br />
<br />please provide the studies which have you ocncerned it would provide us with more to go on.
 
A

aljrbella

New member
Thanks for your reply. Well, it is not indicated by my post, but I do plan to discuss with my doc before making any changes. Thanks for your concern<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

Regarding the studies, here is one i bookmarked:
<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/reprint/34/3/584.pdf
">http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/reprint/34/3/584.pdf
</a>
You can find more by googling "nebulizer contamination" or some other variation of similar words to find more.

Cheers
 
A

aljrbella

New member
Thanks for your reply. Well, it is not indicated by my post, but I do plan to discuss with my doc before making any changes. Thanks for your concern<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

Regarding the studies, here is one i bookmarked:
<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/reprint/34/3/584.pdf
">http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/reprint/34/3/584.pdf
</a>
You can find more by googling "nebulizer contamination" or some other variation of similar words to find more.

Cheers
 
A

aljrbella

New member
Thanks for your reply. Well, it is not indicated by my post, but I do plan to discuss with my doc before making any changes. Thanks for your concern<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
<br />
<br />Regarding the studies, here is one i bookmarked:
<br /><a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/reprint/34/3/584.pdf
">http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/reprint/34/3/584.pdf
</a><br />
<br />You can find more by googling "nebulizer contamination" or some other variation of similar words to find more.
<br />
<br />Cheers
 
R

Ratatosk

Administrator
Staff member
Okay.... The study was from 1995 AND indicated that those with contamination did not practice good nebulizer hygeine. And what was considered "good" back then was cleaning neb cups maybe once a week!? Eeek. Also referred to contaminated water in the resevoir of the neb cup?

15 years ago did most people boil their neb cups for 10 minutes after each use?

You also indicated in a different post that your son had colonized pseudomonas, so I would think that there ARE lung issues and he should most likely be doing neb -- bronchiodialators with cpt or vest 2-4 times a day AND inhaling some sort of antibiotic....
 
R

Ratatosk

Administrator
Staff member
Okay.... The study was from 1995 AND indicated that those with contamination did not practice good nebulizer hygeine. And what was considered "good" back then was cleaning neb cups maybe once a week!? Eeek. Also referred to contaminated water in the resevoir of the neb cup?

15 years ago did most people boil their neb cups for 10 minutes after each use?

You also indicated in a different post that your son had colonized pseudomonas, so I would think that there ARE lung issues and he should most likely be doing neb -- bronchiodialators with cpt or vest 2-4 times a day AND inhaling some sort of antibiotic....
 
R

Ratatosk

Administrator
Staff member
Okay.... The study was from 1995 AND indicated that those with contamination did not practice good nebulizer hygeine. And what was considered "good" back then was cleaning neb cups maybe once a week!? Eeek. Also referred to contaminated water in the resevoir of the neb cup?
<br />
<br />15 years ago did most people boil their neb cups for 10 minutes after each use?
<br />
<br />You also indicated in a different post that your son had colonized pseudomonas, so I would think that there ARE lung issues and he should most likely be doing neb -- bronchiodialators with cpt or vest 2-4 times a day AND inhaling some sort of antibiotic....
 
M

Mommafirst

Guest
I'm a little confused. In your other post, you said your son was 20 -- wouldn't this be a decision he and his doctor would make?

While I imagine that poor sterilization and nebulizer care might contaminate the system, I think its far more likely that good nebulizer use would aid in airway clearance and aid in symptom management.

If he's only on albuterol, wouldn't he be on it 2x per day with airway clearance? I would think you could manage contamination issues either by switching to a metered dose inhaler for the albuterol or improving the sanitizing process used.
 
M

Mommafirst

Guest
I'm a little confused. In your other post, you said your son was 20 -- wouldn't this be a decision he and his doctor would make?

While I imagine that poor sterilization and nebulizer care might contaminate the system, I think its far more likely that good nebulizer use would aid in airway clearance and aid in symptom management.

If he's only on albuterol, wouldn't he be on it 2x per day with airway clearance? I would think you could manage contamination issues either by switching to a metered dose inhaler for the albuterol or improving the sanitizing process used.
 
M

Mommafirst

Guest
I'm a little confused. In your other post, you said your son was 20 -- wouldn't this be a decision he and his doctor would make?
<br />
<br />While I imagine that poor sterilization and nebulizer care might contaminate the system, I think its far more likely that good nebulizer use would aid in airway clearance and aid in symptom management.
<br />
<br />If he's only on albuterol, wouldn't he be on it 2x per day with airway clearance? I would think you could manage contamination issues either by switching to a metered dose inhaler for the albuterol or improving the sanitizing process used.
 
M

mom2lillian

New member
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>aljrbella</b></i>

Ok, I have been reading alot about nebulizer contamination studies for those with asthma and COPD. So, I am wondering....

My son does not have any symptoms yet. And, chest xrays are normal. But he has been prescribed albuterol 1X per day as precautionary.

Based on your more knowledgeable experiences, do you think this prescription is doing "more harm than good" or "more good than harm"? My instinct is to take him off of the nebulizer until I hear that he really needs it??

Thank you</end quote></div>

<i>I was wondering. My son was diagnosed with CF when he was 12 (now 20). He colonized pseudomonas at 14. For those of you with a late diagnosis, were you testing positive for pseudomonas from the beginning, or after diagnosis?

I am wondering if he could have been colonized as a result of the nebulizer therapy or other cf-related care?</i>

So let me get this straight, he has been diagnosed for 8 years, he is now 20 years old, and he has only ever been on nebulized albuterol once per day. And now, 8 years after being diagnosed, and 6 years after colonizing pseudo, which you also think he has gotten from a nebulizer, you have questions about whether he should be doing nebulizers? Oh and my other question, how does a 12 year old get diagnosed with a clear chest X-Ray and no lung symptoms, being a late diagnosis I can tell you as a 12 year old I had a heck of a lot more symptoms than that and doctors dont just jump to the 'maybe you have cf' easily.

hmmmmm interesting, what did you say your name was, and your sons name?
 
M

mom2lillian

New member
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>aljrbella</b></i>

Ok, I have been reading alot about nebulizer contamination studies for those with asthma and COPD. So, I am wondering....

My son does not have any symptoms yet. And, chest xrays are normal. But he has been prescribed albuterol 1X per day as precautionary.

Based on your more knowledgeable experiences, do you think this prescription is doing "more harm than good" or "more good than harm"? My instinct is to take him off of the nebulizer until I hear that he really needs it??

Thank you</end quote>

<i>I was wondering. My son was diagnosed with CF when he was 12 (now 20). He colonized pseudomonas at 14. For those of you with a late diagnosis, were you testing positive for pseudomonas from the beginning, or after diagnosis?

I am wondering if he could have been colonized as a result of the nebulizer therapy or other cf-related care?</i>

So let me get this straight, he has been diagnosed for 8 years, he is now 20 years old, and he has only ever been on nebulized albuterol once per day. And now, 8 years after being diagnosed, and 6 years after colonizing pseudo, which you also think he has gotten from a nebulizer, you have questions about whether he should be doing nebulizers? Oh and my other question, how does a 12 year old get diagnosed with a clear chest X-Ray and no lung symptoms, being a late diagnosis I can tell you as a 12 year old I had a heck of a lot more symptoms than that and doctors dont just jump to the 'maybe you have cf' easily.

hmmmmm interesting, what did you say your name was, and your sons name?
 
M

mom2lillian

New member
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>aljrbella</b></i>
<br />
<br />Ok, I have been reading alot about nebulizer contamination studies for those with asthma and COPD. So, I am wondering....
<br />
<br />My son does not have any symptoms yet. And, chest xrays are normal. But he has been prescribed albuterol 1X per day as precautionary.
<br />
<br />Based on your more knowledgeable experiences, do you think this prescription is doing "more harm than good" or "more good than harm"? My instinct is to take him off of the nebulizer until I hear that he really needs it??
<br />
<br />Thank you</end quote>
<br />
<br /><i>I was wondering. My son was diagnosed with CF when he was 12 (now 20). He colonized pseudomonas at 14. For those of you with a late diagnosis, were you testing positive for pseudomonas from the beginning, or after diagnosis?
<br />
<br />I am wondering if he could have been colonized as a result of the nebulizer therapy or other cf-related care?</i>
<br />
<br />So let me get this straight, he has been diagnosed for 8 years, he is now 20 years old, and he has only ever been on nebulized albuterol once per day. And now, 8 years after being diagnosed, and 6 years after colonizing pseudo, which you also think he has gotten from a nebulizer, you have questions about whether he should be doing nebulizers? Oh and my other question, how does a 12 year old get diagnosed with a clear chest X-Ray and no lung symptoms, being a late diagnosis I can tell you as a 12 year old I had a heck of a lot more symptoms than that and doctors dont just jump to the 'maybe you have cf' easily.
<br />
<br />hmmmmm interesting, what did you say your name was, and your sons name?
 
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