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Infection Prevention and Control
Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Management of Respiratory Equipment Purpose To ensure that all staff are aware the importance of the effective management of respiratory equipment in order to minimise the risk of transmission of infection. To enable staff to appropriately manage respiratory equipment in order to maintain service user and staff safety. Target Group
Introduction
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All relevant care staff including bank, agency and other visiting staff. All staff should receive training in the appropriate management of respiratory equipment if relevant to their role and should inform the manager if unable to undertake same, whether due to physical problems or environmental factors within the care facility.
Effective management of respiratory equipment plays an important role in providing safe care for service users.
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The effective management of respiratory equipment ensures that devices do not pose a risk or potential risk of infection to service users. Respiratory equipment can include the following:
Oxygen tubing Oxygen masks Oxygen/air cylinders Nebuliser masks and tubing Nebuliser machines Inhalers and associated devices such as aero-chambers and spacers etc Peak flow meters
(This list is not exhaustive) As a general rule it is important to always refer to the manufacturers’ instructions when considering the management of any medical device/ equipment. This is certainly the case when managing respiratory equipment. Where possible the use of single use disposable equipment should be considered as this negates the need to engage in complex decontamination processes.
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Caution: Where consumables such as nebuliser masks and oxygen masks bear this symbol they must only ever be used once and then disposed of.
Items bearing this symbol should never be re-used (even by the same service user).
Good practice in relation to Respiratory Equipment Action
Rationale
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Item
To reduce the risk of transmission of infection
Where compressors are required for use by more than one service user the external surface should be cleaned between each service user
To reduce the risk of transmitting infection
Only compressors with external filters should be used. The use of equipment with only internal filters should be avoided
Filters which are externally fitted are more readily changed; internal filters cannot be changed by care staff
Where there are external or internal filters in place these should be changed in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions
To ensure that equipment is functioning properly
A different nebuliser chamber must be used for each individual patient
To reduce the risk of transmitting infection
The equipment should be serviced in line with the manufacturers’ instructions
To ensure that equipment is functioning optimally
Equipment should be decontaminated after each use
To reduce risk of transmitting infection
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Where possible dedicate item to the use of one service user only
Nebuliser machine /compressor
(always check manufacturers’ instructions)
Equipment should be stored in a To prevent contamination of dedicated equipment store and should be clean equipment; to provide labelled as being clean once assurance that equipment was xxxxxx Start Date: 00/00/0000 End Date: 11/11/1111 2 of 6 - Management of Respiratory Equipment
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