hydroccolators

[Lesley Lewis]

Dear all, I am looking for information on hydrocculator infection control risks. This equipment is a heat pack system using large heat packs covered with a canvas material cover that cannot be removed. The packs are heated (and left stored) in a tank filled with water that is maintained at 70 degrees (no readout or guage to verify). The water is reccomended to be changed 2nd weekly. The heat packs are intended for multi patient use and are wet when used with a cloth cover and cloth towel wrapped around the pack. My questions are:
1. Have hydrocollators been associated with any outbreaks?
2. What are the contamination risks with the tank – is 70 degrees sufficient to eliminate contamination and microbial growth within the tank?.
3. Heat packs – how would you suggest they should be decontaminated between uses?

Lesley Lewis
Hume Region Infection Control resource and Consulting Service
lesley.lewis@hume.org.au

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[Jennifer Benjamin]

I previously worked in a GEM ward where these were used.They need to be
wrapped in 12 layers of towel to prevent burning the patient. We placed
them in plastic bags and sealed them with tape and then layered the
toweling. The bags were disposed of after each use. They were not used
for pts with non intact skin or Known communicable diseases.

Jen Benjamin

Infection Control Consultant

Melbourne Pathology

M: 0402 000 590

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—–Original Message—–
Behalf Of Lesley Lewis

Dear all, I am looking for information on hydrocculator infection
control risks. This equipment is a heat pack system using large heat
packs covered with a canvas material cover that cannot be removed. The
packs are heated (and left stored) in a tank filled with water that is
maintained at 70 degrees (no readout or guage to verify). The water is
reccomended to be changed 2nd weekly. The heat packs are intended for
multi patient use and are wet when used with a cloth cover and cloth
towel wrapped around the pack. My questions are:
1. Have hydrocollators been associated with any outbreaks?
2. What are the contamination risks with the tank – is 70 degrees
sufficient to eliminate contamination and microbial growth within the
tank?.
3. Heat packs – how would you suggest they should be decontaminated
between uses?

Lesley Lewis
Hume Region Infection Control resource and Consulting Service
lesley.lewis@hume.org.au

Messages posted to this list are solely the opinion of the authors, and
do not represent the opinion of AICA.

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 aicalist@aicalist.org.au

To send a message to the list administrator send an email to
aicalist-request@aicalist.org.au.

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

Messages posted to this list are solely the opinion of the authors, and do not represent the opinion of AICA.

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