Welcome to City-Data.com forum! Make sure to Filters and Things That Go Bump in The Night.
Posted 01-31-2009 at 10:26 AM by linicx
Nine times out of ten, if something is going to go wrong it will between 5pm and 9am during the week or on a weekend when your supplier is not in the office. Call anyway. You will get help or someone will be at your door.
There are certain things you need at home. and there are certain things you must do for your patient.
You should have enough portable E tanks in the house to last 18 hours minimum in the event of a power failure. The greater the litre rate, the faster a tank will empty. An E tank on a Chad wil last longer than an E tank on a regulator. At 4 litres the tank will last about 3-3.5 house. at 2 liters it will last twice that long. An E tank on a Chad device can last as long as 10 hours at 2 litres.
I got caught in a power failure with no candles, no flashlight and no way to see to switch from concentrator to tank. I was very lucky for the police came with a flashlight and a little later they returned with a loaner.
Flashlights and fresh batteries are your best frield. Store extra batteries in the freezer; they last forever whereas batteries in a drawer do not.
Chad is a brand name for a dual regulator. On one side it delivers air as the patient breathes. On the other side it deliveres a constant flow of oxygen. On the patient side, the litre flow can be adjusted. What they do not tell you is on the constant flow side, the maximum litre flow is 2 litres only and no more. It cannot be adjusted.
Electronic health care equipment has filters. The two concentrator filters need to be changed at least once every two weeks - especially if it is near a door or doorway. Wash in soap, rince until the water is clear, wring them out like a dish cloth and put them in a dish rack to drip dry. Do not wash them in a dishwasher or with laundry. Do not dry them in a clothes dryer. What they do not tell you is that in an emegency you can towel dry them. I use two towels to remove the maximum amount of water and reuse them damp. Do NOT ever use sopping wet filters in anything electric. Your health care provider will give you extra filters, extra cannulas and extra line. If they do not ask for it. They cannot deny you.
While I think about it .... I have alwys used a national provider because we traveled. Your provider will make arrangements with other offices in other states. Tney cannot refuse to deliver or pickup equipment on a weekend. They don't like it. but they will do it. They also replace equipment that does not work correnctly. A concentrator noisy enough to wake the dead is not a good piece of equipment. I had our changed out after midnight because of excessive noise. They will not put it in a hotel room. If you can't do it yourself, the hotel will accomodate you. If you travel be sure to order enough E tanks to replace the ones you used as you traveled. I carry extra concentrator filters, bubbler, lines, swivels, cannulas - even though they are usually provided with the loan equipment. It is impossible to predict when you might need that extra equpment. And I usually carry a surge protector and a short three prong extention cord for there is never enough wall outlets in any motel for the this kind of equipment.
Many nebulizers have a filter the size of a pencil eraser inside the unit that needs to be cleaned or replaced about every six months or sooner. Cleaner is better.
You should change the cannula at least once a month as it reduces the risk of Adult Thrush. Have the patient stick out his tongue. If you see a white chalky looking film, and the patient has not been drinking milk or eating vanilla icecream, it's Thrush. It requires a prescription. What they don't tell you is how to avoid it. It's easy.. My patient risnses the mouth before bedtime with a mouthwash that is at least 15% alcohol. The stronger the better. I like 20% or higher. You can do the same thing with a mouth full of whiskey as long as you do not swallow it.
The mouthpiece has to be washed too. Take it apart and let it set several hours or all night in a strong vinegar and water solution. Wash your hands with soap and rinse them well before handling the clean mouthpiece. It must be rinsed well. If you don't smell vinegar, it's rinsed. And then it has to be reassembled. Watch how you take it apart the first time so you can ressamble the parts correctly.. Most of the time it is a no-brainer, but there are mouthpieces with things that look like tiny plasic funnels in the bottom of the bowl that are removed to clean. ithout the funnel looking device, the mouthpiece will not work properly. Don't loose it. DO NOT soak the mouthpiece in bleach. If you are in a hurry use HOT, soapy water and rinse extra well.
The last filter may be the most important filter you change. This is what they don't tell you. Change your furnace filter every two weeks and use a 3M filter. I use the 3M filter with a rating of at least 1400. I pay about $14 per filter at Walmart. ACK!!! It is cheaper to buy them by the case at Lowe's.
These filters remove virus, smoke, bacteria, pet dander, pet hair, dust bunnies and other unhealthy things. The higher the number, the more stuff it removes. I can tell you it has added quality to my patients life. We have not had any sickness since the diagnosis of Fibrosis and COPD (non smoker) in 2005.
One other thing that is equally important is keep the doors and windows closed all year. This is because the outside air we breathe is filled with mold spores. If you go outside for any reason, you must have mold free air in your home. Mold is the #2 killer in the 5th most populated state in the US. Mold is in every area of every state including Hawaii and Alaska.
The average life span of a healthy Fibroses patient, say 50 years old, is about six years without a lung transplant. In August my 81 year old patient will begin the 4th year - if we are lucky. I credit this with a mold free house and clean air.
The last thing to be aware of is the air temperature. A lung patient should not be in outside in air warmer than 80 degrees or colder than 20 degrees. NO colder than 20 unless the nose and mouth are covered with a mask or scarf. These items keep warm air going into the nose. Do not..... do this long for the patient is not breathing in oxygen unless the tank is along, too. We inhale oxygen. We do NOT exhale oxygen. It just feels that way.
Walding exercise is good for the lungs. Picking up heavy packages or moving furniture is not good for the lungs. And neither is not using oxygen as the doctor instructed.
A recent study shows lung patients should day away from spray bottles and chemical fumes like those from bleach and amonia. They should also avoid fires and lighted fireplace in the house. Kerosene heaters,
cigarette smoke. gasoline fumes. In short the lung paient should avoid all types of fumes and all types of smoke - even if they are outside. Please stay downwind of those lung irritants.
There are certain things you need at home. and there are certain things you must do for your patient.
You should have enough portable E tanks in the house to last 18 hours minimum in the event of a power failure. The greater the litre rate, the faster a tank will empty. An E tank on a Chad wil last longer than an E tank on a regulator. At 4 litres the tank will last about 3-3.5 house. at 2 liters it will last twice that long. An E tank on a Chad device can last as long as 10 hours at 2 litres.
I got caught in a power failure with no candles, no flashlight and no way to see to switch from concentrator to tank. I was very lucky for the police came with a flashlight and a little later they returned with a loaner.
Flashlights and fresh batteries are your best frield. Store extra batteries in the freezer; they last forever whereas batteries in a drawer do not.
Chad is a brand name for a dual regulator. On one side it delivers air as the patient breathes. On the other side it deliveres a constant flow of oxygen. On the patient side, the litre flow can be adjusted. What they do not tell you is on the constant flow side, the maximum litre flow is 2 litres only and no more. It cannot be adjusted.
Electronic health care equipment has filters. The two concentrator filters need to be changed at least once every two weeks - especially if it is near a door or doorway. Wash in soap, rince until the water is clear, wring them out like a dish cloth and put them in a dish rack to drip dry. Do not wash them in a dishwasher or with laundry. Do not dry them in a clothes dryer. What they do not tell you is that in an emegency you can towel dry them. I use two towels to remove the maximum amount of water and reuse them damp. Do NOT ever use sopping wet filters in anything electric. Your health care provider will give you extra filters, extra cannulas and extra line. If they do not ask for it. They cannot deny you.
While I think about it .... I have alwys used a national provider because we traveled. Your provider will make arrangements with other offices in other states. Tney cannot refuse to deliver or pickup equipment on a weekend. They don't like it. but they will do it. They also replace equipment that does not work correnctly. A concentrator noisy enough to wake the dead is not a good piece of equipment. I had our changed out after midnight because of excessive noise. They will not put it in a hotel room. If you can't do it yourself, the hotel will accomodate you. If you travel be sure to order enough E tanks to replace the ones you used as you traveled. I carry extra concentrator filters, bubbler, lines, swivels, cannulas - even though they are usually provided with the loan equipment. It is impossible to predict when you might need that extra equpment. And I usually carry a surge protector and a short three prong extention cord for there is never enough wall outlets in any motel for the this kind of equipment.
Many nebulizers have a filter the size of a pencil eraser inside the unit that needs to be cleaned or replaced about every six months or sooner. Cleaner is better.
You should change the cannula at least once a month as it reduces the risk of Adult Thrush. Have the patient stick out his tongue. If you see a white chalky looking film, and the patient has not been drinking milk or eating vanilla icecream, it's Thrush. It requires a prescription. What they don't tell you is how to avoid it. It's easy.. My patient risnses the mouth before bedtime with a mouthwash that is at least 15% alcohol. The stronger the better. I like 20% or higher. You can do the same thing with a mouth full of whiskey as long as you do not swallow it.
The mouthpiece has to be washed too. Take it apart and let it set several hours or all night in a strong vinegar and water solution. Wash your hands with soap and rinse them well before handling the clean mouthpiece. It must be rinsed well. If you don't smell vinegar, it's rinsed. And then it has to be reassembled. Watch how you take it apart the first time so you can ressamble the parts correctly.. Most of the time it is a no-brainer, but there are mouthpieces with things that look like tiny plasic funnels in the bottom of the bowl that are removed to clean. ithout the funnel looking device, the mouthpiece will not work properly. Don't loose it. DO NOT soak the mouthpiece in bleach. If you are in a hurry use HOT, soapy water and rinse extra well.
The last filter may be the most important filter you change. This is what they don't tell you. Change your furnace filter every two weeks and use a 3M filter. I use the 3M filter with a rating of at least 1400. I pay about $14 per filter at Walmart. ACK!!! It is cheaper to buy them by the case at Lowe's.
These filters remove virus, smoke, bacteria, pet dander, pet hair, dust bunnies and other unhealthy things. The higher the number, the more stuff it removes. I can tell you it has added quality to my patients life. We have not had any sickness since the diagnosis of Fibrosis and COPD (non smoker) in 2005.
One other thing that is equally important is keep the doors and windows closed all year. This is because the outside air we breathe is filled with mold spores. If you go outside for any reason, you must have mold free air in your home. Mold is the #2 killer in the 5th most populated state in the US. Mold is in every area of every state including Hawaii and Alaska.
The average life span of a healthy Fibroses patient, say 50 years old, is about six years without a lung transplant. In August my 81 year old patient will begin the 4th year - if we are lucky. I credit this with a mold free house and clean air.
The last thing to be aware of is the air temperature. A lung patient should not be in outside in air warmer than 80 degrees or colder than 20 degrees. NO colder than 20 unless the nose and mouth are covered with a mask or scarf. These items keep warm air going into the nose. Do not..... do this long for the patient is not breathing in oxygen unless the tank is along, too. We inhale oxygen. We do NOT exhale oxygen. It just feels that way.
Walding exercise is good for the lungs. Picking up heavy packages or moving furniture is not good for the lungs. And neither is not using oxygen as the doctor instructed.
A recent study shows lung patients should day away from spray bottles and chemical fumes like those from bleach and amonia. They should also avoid fires and lighted fireplace in the house. Kerosene heaters,
cigarette smoke. gasoline fumes. In short the lung paient should avoid all types of fumes and all types of smoke - even if they are outside. Please stay downwind of those lung irritants.
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