pft machines and the spread of germs (cepacia, MRSA, etc.)

[anonymous]

This subject terrifies me.... I have only used the laptop kind ONCE at a clinic that seemed to do everything WRONG except using the laptop pft machine! So, needless to say, I don't go back there. I go to a clinic with the old machines, and don't ask many questions. I doubt I can change it, so I'd rather not know about it. Call me ignorant, but I worry too much the way it is! <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

Sonia

 

[anonymous]

This subject terrifies me.... I have only used the laptop kind ONCE at a clinic that seemed to do everything WRONG except using the laptop pft machine! So, needless to say, I don't go back there. I go to a clinic with the old machines, and don't ask many questions. I doubt I can change it, so I'd rather not know about it. Call me ignorant, but I worry too much the way it is! <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

Sonia

 

[Faust]

<blockquote>Quote<br><hr><i>Originally posted by: <b>Anonymous</b></i><br>Sean, maybe you need to try licking the toilet seat now! That might challenge your immune system more!<hr></blockquote>


Ok i'm on it!


BTW I once knew someone who ate a urinal cake and lived. He did it for 20 bucks too.

 

[Faust]

<blockquote>Quote<br><hr><i>Originally posted by: <b>Anonymous</b></i><br>Sean, maybe you need to try licking the toilet seat now! That might challenge your immune system more!<hr></blockquote>


Ok i'm on it!


BTW I once knew someone who ate a urinal cake and lived. He did it for 20 bucks too.

 

[littledebbie]

If it's too expensive for us each to have our own machine, what if we each brought our own tubing w/filter to clinic?

Editing...spelling..<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif" border="0">

 

[littledebbie]

If it's too expensive for us each to have our own machine, what if we each brought our own tubing w/filter to clinic?

Editing...spelling..<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif" border="0">

 

[anonymous]

Wow I can't believe actually that some of you guys still use the same tubes. They had that at my hospital back in the day, and I would always request that they change the tube. Here is my philosophy- regardless of bugs or not, I DO NOT want to be heavily breathing in and out of some tube that everyone else has been heavily breathing in and out of! To me it seems gross, never mind the whole spread of germs factor.

You wouldn't want to be in the same room with another CF-er, but you will breath out of the same tube as them? We had filtered mouthpieced then too, but the filter on it might as well have been a coffee filter- I have no idea how well it kept anything out.

It is nice for you Liz that there aren't any cepacia patients at your clinic, but still...

We all use laptop machines now. I used to constantly ask about the old machines, and how could they possibly not harbor germs what with people breathing in and out of them all the time, and they always just said "oh no, they are 'calibrated'" whatever that means. Now apparently they are moving them out of use, but some people still use them I guess. Ilike the laptops because you get your own mouthpiece (obviously) and tubing, which is the same tubing as like a nebulizer tube (skinny). It attaches to a little thing that is attached to the computer, and they clean that part between each patient AND do the whole wait-20-mins thing. Anyway, the only part that would ever be communal even in the least is the part that the tube connects to which is about the size of an eraser and is what they clean.

So, my view is this. When I started PFTs we all sat in the same room, and we all were supposed to do PFT's from the same machine, through the same tube, in front of everyone. That was back in the 80's and early 90's. NOW- we are all in our own rooms immediately upon walking into clinic, we use these laptop machines which are cleaned thoroughly, and they everything is sterile as possible. So, it seems clear to me that just like they are taking precautions with things like purell, gown and gloves, and putting everyone in a different room, they are also taking precautions w/ the pft machines and so therefore they must be safer. They certainly seem it.

Caitlin
22 w/ CF, b. cepacia.

 

[anonymous]

Wow I can't believe actually that some of you guys still use the same tubes. They had that at my hospital back in the day, and I would always request that they change the tube. Here is my philosophy- regardless of bugs or not, I DO NOT want to be heavily breathing in and out of some tube that everyone else has been heavily breathing in and out of! To me it seems gross, never mind the whole spread of germs factor.

You wouldn't want to be in the same room with another CF-er, but you will breath out of the same tube as them? We had filtered mouthpieced then too, but the filter on it might as well have been a coffee filter- I have no idea how well it kept anything out.

It is nice for you Liz that there aren't any cepacia patients at your clinic, but still...

We all use laptop machines now. I used to constantly ask about the old machines, and how could they possibly not harbor germs what with people breathing in and out of them all the time, and they always just said "oh no, they are 'calibrated'" whatever that means. Now apparently they are moving them out of use, but some people still use them I guess. Ilike the laptops because you get your own mouthpiece (obviously) and tubing, which is the same tubing as like a nebulizer tube (skinny). It attaches to a little thing that is attached to the computer, and they clean that part between each patient AND do the whole wait-20-mins thing. Anyway, the only part that would ever be communal even in the least is the part that the tube connects to which is about the size of an eraser and is what they clean.

So, my view is this. When I started PFTs we all sat in the same room, and we all were supposed to do PFT's from the same machine, through the same tube, in front of everyone. That was back in the 80's and early 90's. NOW- we are all in our own rooms immediately upon walking into clinic, we use these laptop machines which are cleaned thoroughly, and they everything is sterile as possible. So, it seems clear to me that just like they are taking precautions with things like purell, gown and gloves, and putting everyone in a different room, they are also taking precautions w/ the pft machines and so therefore they must be safer. They certainly seem it.

Caitlin
22 w/ CF, b. cepacia.

 

[LouLou]

Caitlin, Thanks for your thorough explanation. I have decided to switch clinics. I hope that I will be able to find one that uses the computer spirometer you speak of in my area. I think it's horrible that they are still using something old fashioned when something better has been invented. What state/country are you in?

 

[LouLou]

Caitlin, Thanks for your thorough explanation. I have decided to switch clinics. I hope that I will be able to find one that uses the computer spirometer you speak of in my area. I think it's horrible that they are still using something old fashioned when something better has been invented. What state/country are you in?

 

[anonymous]

I'm not sure what I use, but it's a little machine, maybe 10 inches by 4. Anyway, they change the tubing and mouth piece every time. I never really worried about germ spreading before. I should say I never though about it. I have cepacia anyway, and that's probably how I got it!

Christian

 

[anonymous]

I'm not sure what I use, but it's a little machine, maybe 10 inches by 4. Anyway, they change the tubing and mouth piece every time. I never really worried about germ spreading before. I should say I never though about it. I have cepacia anyway, and that's probably how I got it!

Christian

 

[anonymous]

I live in Massachusetts and go to Children's in Boston.

I must say, I think Christian you said you never really thought much about the fact that you have cepacia. I guess I never did either until I came to this board, not in a bad way, but i realized how many people DONT have it and what bad luck it was and I was like "oh....so this sucks"

haha, but I just thought that was an interesting point


Caitlin
22 w. CF, b. cepacia

 

[anonymous]

I live in Massachusetts and go to Children's in Boston.

I must say, I think Christian you said you never really thought much about the fact that you have cepacia. I guess I never did either until I came to this board, not in a bad way, but i realized how many people DONT have it and what bad luck it was and I was like "oh....so this sucks"

haha, but I just thought that was an interesting point


Caitlin
22 w. CF, b. cepacia

 

[Diane]

I started a thread about this a while ago when i went to my cf appt. and the respiritory nurse wanted me to use the "community" machine and i refused ( since having cepacia i always used the handheld one). She assured me that since each mouth piece had its own filter we are safe. I eventually relented and did it, but this tuesday when i went for my appt. , the same nurse once again led me to that machine and this time i absolutely refused and had to give her some food for thought .... She said its ok for me with cepacia to use the same as everyone else since i am the last patient to be using it that day. I asked her if it is so safe then why am i saved for last? She said "well we want to make it safer for the non cepacia patients". And i said "well what about me.... Since i already have cepacia i will catch other germs MORE easily than an non cepacia patient....germs like MRSA, staph, etc.etc." and if someone was looking out for ME, maybe i would have never even gotten cepacia" Then i went on to tell her i cant believe all they care about is protecting everyone else from me and I seem to be the only one who is worried about protecting ME from getting anything from everyone else!!!! And of coarse if there was absolutely NO WAY to spread germs thru this machine, then why not let me go first before everyone else? She was speechless and went out and got my regular nurse and we did the handheld one. I had to point out to her that with the handheld one we dont breathe IN thru it we only blow out.... BUT with the big machine you have to inhale thru the same tubes as everyone else all day long , all week long , all month long. I asked her if they ever replace the clear tubes that are attached to the machine and i got no answer. I guess that tells me it has never been replaced. SCARY !!

 

[Diane]

I started a thread about this a while ago when i went to my cf appt. and the respiritory nurse wanted me to use the "community" machine and i refused ( since having cepacia i always used the handheld one). She assured me that since each mouth piece had its own filter we are safe. I eventually relented and did it, but this tuesday when i went for my appt. , the same nurse once again led me to that machine and this time i absolutely refused and had to give her some food for thought .... She said its ok for me with cepacia to use the same as everyone else since i am the last patient to be using it that day. I asked her if it is so safe then why am i saved for last? She said "well we want to make it safer for the non cepacia patients". And i said "well what about me.... Since i already have cepacia i will catch other germs MORE easily than an non cepacia patient....germs like MRSA, staph, etc.etc." and if someone was looking out for ME, maybe i would have never even gotten cepacia" Then i went on to tell her i cant believe all they care about is protecting everyone else from me and I seem to be the only one who is worried about protecting ME from getting anything from everyone else!!!! And of coarse if there was absolutely NO WAY to spread germs thru this machine, then why not let me go first before everyone else? She was speechless and went out and got my regular nurse and we did the handheld one. I had to point out to her that with the handheld one we dont breathe IN thru it we only blow out.... BUT with the big machine you have to inhale thru the same tubes as everyone else all day long , all week long , all month long. I asked her if they ever replace the clear tubes that are attached to the machine and i got no answer. I guess that tells me it has never been replaced. SCARY !!

 

[anonymous]

Diane

So scary! Good for you for speaking up- obviously she had no argument you were totally right. Especially since what you said about - "if they are so safe then why should the cepacia people go last"!!!

Caitlin

 

[anonymous]

Diane

So scary! Good for you for speaking up- obviously she had no argument you were totally right. Especially since what you said about - "if they are so safe then why should the cepacia people go last"!!!

Caitlin

 

[Landy]

Diane
You pretty much answered our question, then. If there's no risk of getting something from PFT machines because "the filters catch 99.9% of the germs" as my RT's have said then why did they make you wait until last to do your test? And come on, the people that make those filters are the ones that claim they catch 99.9% of the germs, do you think the company would really tell you "Well, they only catch 50%" or something if that were the case? I'm guessing no.
And that is too bad that cepacia patients feel that they are not being protected from catching other bugs.
I have asked about tubing changing on those machines as to how often they are changed and the best answer I've gotten was daily. Most of the time the person performing the test is like, Huh? Granted, I haven't asked in awhile, because I was always given the 'filter catches 99.9% of germs' explanation... so I hope that by this time they are replacing the tubes between patients.

 

[Landy]

Diane
You pretty much answered our question, then. If there's no risk of getting something from PFT machines because "the filters catch 99.9% of the germs" as my RT's have said then why did they make you wait until last to do your test? And come on, the people that make those filters are the ones that claim they catch 99.9% of the germs, do you think the company would really tell you "Well, they only catch 50%" or something if that were the case? I'm guessing no.
And that is too bad that cepacia patients feel that they are not being protected from catching other bugs.
I have asked about tubing changing on those machines as to how often they are changed and the best answer I've gotten was daily. Most of the time the person performing the test is like, Huh? Granted, I haven't asked in awhile, because I was always given the 'filter catches 99.9% of germs' explanation... so I hope that by this time they are replacing the tubes between patients.