A risk assessment of multiple use of an aerosol system compared with single use for lung ventilation scans.

Leicestershire Medical Physics Department, Leicester Royal Infirmary NHS Trust, Infirmary Close, UK.

Over 300 99Tc(m)-DTPA aerosol lung ventilation scans are performed at Leicester Royal Infirmary each year. Current practice is to re-use the nebulizer circuits up to five times over a maximum of 1 week. Following a visit from the hospital infection control team, this practice was questioned and, therefore, a risk assessment was carried out. This compared the risks of multiple use of ventilation circuits with single use. A survey was also carried out to try and establish current practice in other departments. The risk assesment showed that both single and multiple use of nebulizer circuits can have a high risk. The risks associated with the former were radiation safety and/or financial, and the risk with the latter was cross-infection. The survey showed that multiple use is certainly common practice within the UK. Therefore, in coming to a decision on which practice to adopt, these risks must be considered most carefully in the context of the local environment.

PMID: 9342108 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]