Infection Control; Cleaning And Preparing For New Patient Use - AirSep Focus Service Manual

7.4 Infection Control

With growing concern about possible cross infection from home oxygen equipment from one
home care patient to another, a clarification on this topic is necessary. The organisms of most
concern are M.Tuberculosis, HIV, and Viral Hepatitis. These are potentially pathogenic.
Tuberculosis can survive outside the human body, but its mode of transmission is by droplet
nuclei. When infected individuals cough, they release droplet nuclei into the air, and these carry
the Tuberculosis organism. These droplet nuclei may be breathed in by another person, but
prolonged exposure to the infected person is usually necessary for infection to occur.
HIV and Viral Hepatitis are both viruses that are not living cells themselves but can duplicate
when in a living "host" cell. Both of these organisms are usually passed on by person-to-
person contact, and both need to be in the human body to survive. Once outside the body, viruses
do not survive.
7.5

Cleaning and Preparing for New Patient Use

When you remove Focus from a patient's home, always detach and dispose of the used nasal
cannula. Clean the exterior of Focus with a mild household cleaner applied with a damp cloth or
sponge. Pay special attention to the oxygen outlet for the cannula connection to make sure it
remains free of dust, water, and particles. Be careful not to get any liquid into the interior of the
unit.
Next, clean the exterior with a common chemical disinfectant before any other patient uses the
unit. Do not use liquid directly on the Focus unit to clean it.
Do not use liquid directly on the Focus unit to clean it. A list of undesirable chemical agents
includes but is not limited to, the following, according to the plastics manufacturer: alcohol and
alcohol-based products, concentrated chlorine-based products (ethylene chloride), and oil-based
products (Pine-Sol, Lestoil). These are NOT to be used to clean the plastic housing on Focus,
they can damage the units plastic.
Allow Focus to air dry, and then re-test oxygen concentration before you
return the unit to your inventory.
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*Make the bleach solution a 1:100 dilution of 5.25% sodium hypochlorite.
Mix one part household bleach (e.g., Clorox with 99 parts cold tap
water) to measure the solution easily, take ¼ cup of household bleach,
and mix it with a gallon of cold tap water. Allow the mixture to sit on
potentially contaminated surfaces for 10 minutes.
AirSep does not recommend the sterilization of this equipment.
MN171-1 Rev. B