Re: Reusable patient equipment

30/03/2020 at 12:01 pm #76609

Glenys Harrington

Participant

Author:
Glenys Harrington

Email:
infexion@ozemail.com.au

Organisation:
Infection Control Consultancy (ICC)

State:

Dear Emily,

The are issues with reprocessing spacers.

They should not be rinsed after washing with detergent as the residual soap on the inside lining of the spacer minimise static electricity in the spacer.

Static electricity causes the medicine to get trapped to the walls of the spacer, instead of entering the lungs.

See highlighted points in the instructions from the Australian Asthma Council as an example – below

https://www.nationalasthma.org.au/living-with-asthma/resources/patients-carers/factsheets/spacer-use-and-care

Good video from Asthma UK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v-3tZ-vYok3Q

Cleaning your spacer – Australian Asthma Council

Clean your spacer about once a month and after you have recovered from any cold or respiratory infection. Your spacer may become a bit cloudy over time, but it shouldnt be mouldy or brown.

To clean your spacer:

* Dismantle your spacer, if necessary

* Wash all the parts in clean warm water with liquid dishwashing detergent

* Allow the parts to air dry without rinsing drying with a cloth or paper towel can result in static building up on the inside of the spacer, which makes the medication stick to the sides

* Wipe the mouthpiece clean of detergent, if needed

* When completely dry, reassemble if necessary

New spacers (e.g. Able Spacer Universal, Breath-A-Tech, Volumatic) also need to be washed before you use them for the first time. If a new spacer has to be used immediately, you can prime the spacer by firing at least multiple (at least 10) puffs into it to begin with to help reduce the static build-up inside. You can then take your medication dose as usual.

Spacers made from antistatic polymers (e.g. Able A2A, AeroChamber Plus, Breathe Eazy, La Petite E-Chamber, La Grande E-Chamber, OptiChamber Diamond) do not need to be primed or washed before first use, nor do disposable cardboard spacers.

Your spacer should be checked by your pharmacist, nurse or asthma educator every 612 months to check the structure is intact (e.g. no cracks) and the valve is working properly.

Regards

Glenys

Glenys Harrington

Consultant

Infection Control Consultancy (ICC)

P.O. Box 6385

Melbourne

Australia, 3004

M: +61 404816434

E: infexion@ozemail.com.au

Hi,

If the manufacturers instructions deems them to be reusable and the instructions are given for the cleaning and reprocessing they can be reprocessed. However, CSD cannot reprocess single use items. Spacers are considered single patient use therefore cannot be reprocessed.

Regards

Kerrin Maher RN BN
Nurse Unit Manager | Central Sterilising Department
QEll Jubilee Hospital | Metro South Health
Kessels Road QLD 4108
t. 07 31826151

e. kerrin.maher@health.qld.gov.au

Emily send to CSSD for high level disinfection in instrument washers.

Cheers

Les Alway

Strategic Health Resources

Lesley Alway

Strategic Health Resources

0408324727

On 28 Mar 2020, at 11:22 am, Emily Stewart <estewart@fsph.org.au > wrote:

I am a very fresh Infection Control Coordinator. Only 18 months into the role from a Surgical Nursing Background.

I have had such a huge learning experience in this last two months!!

I was not sure how to word this question, and am a little shy to post on the ACIPCLIST.

Our ED NUM has asked if there are any products to disinfect spacers , so they can become shared equipment within our facility.

As there is such a shortage and people still have asthma attacks.

I have discussed with our pharmacist, regarding the cleaning process, but alas he only gave me information on how to clean them for continued one person use.

Your guidance or help in the matter would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

Kind Regards

Emily Stewart Infection Control Coordinator RN

Tel: 07 43311168 Fax: 07 41512180

______________________________________________

The contents of this email are strictly confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, disclosure or copying of this email (including any attachments) is unauthorised and prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please notify the Friendly Society Private Hospital immediately by return email and then delete the message from your system.

MESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR, AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.

The use of trade/product/commercial brand names through the list is discouraged by ACIPC. If you wish to discuss specific reference to products or services by brand or commercial names, please do this outside the list.

Archive of all messages are available at http://aicalist.org.au/archives – registration and login required.

Replies to this message will be directed back to the list. To create a new message send an email to acipclist@acipc.org.au

To send a message to the list administrator send an email to admin@acipc.org.au

You can unsubscribe manually from this list by sending ‘signoff acipclist’ (without the quotes) to listserv@aicalist.org.au

MESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR, AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.

Archive of all messages are available at http://aicalist.org.au/archives – registration and login required.

Replies to this message will be directed back to the list. To create a new message send an email to acipclist@acipc.org.au

To send a message to the list administrator send an email to admin@acipc.org.au

You can unsubscribe manually from this list by sending ‘signoff acipclist’ (without the quotes) to listserv@aicalist.org.au

**********************************************************************************

Queensland Health carries out monitoring, scanning and blocking of emails and attachments sent from or to addresses within Queensland Health for the purposes of operating, protecting, maintaining and ensuring appropriate use of its computer network.