Investigation of possible patient-to-patient transmission of hepatitis C in a hospital

Anesthesia breathing circuits protected by the DAR Barrierbac S® breathing filter have a low bacterial contamination rate

“…Recently, an investigation on an outbreak of hepatitis C infection in a private operating facility pointed to a contaminated anesthesia breathing circuit as the possible source of infection. 4 Also, tuberculosis is still a great concern in all fields of health care including anesthesia. 23 In summary, this study tested a large sample of an anesthesia breathing filter in the usual anesthesia setting and showed that the practice of using a sterile breathing filter for every patient while reusing the anesthesia breathing circuit might fail and result in contamination of the breathing circuit in less than one every 250 cases.…”

“…Contaminated anesthesia apparatus have been implicated as a causative factor of postoperative pulmonary infections. [1][2][3][4] Indeed microorganisms have been isolated in almost every part of the anesthesia breathing system. 5,6 Thus the current recommendations of both the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) state that sterile anesthesia breathing material should be used for every patient.…”

Anti‐infective measures and Entonox® equipment: a survey

“…Cases of cross-infection with hepatitis C (HCV) from anaesthetic breathing equipment [1] have led to the recommendation that an anti-infective ®lter or fully disposable breathing system is used for each new patient [2]. While investigating methods of complying with this recommendation with respect to Entonox Ò (50% nitrous oxide in oxygen) apparatus in our labour ward, we conducted a survey of other units to determine what measures were being taken elsewhere.…”

Extent and practicalities of filter use in anaesthetic breathing circuits and attitudes towards their use: a postal survey of UK hospitals

“…More recently, Australian reports that several patients on the same operating theatre list were infected with hepatitis C from a contaminated breathing system [4] have led to the widespread use of filters in the UK.…”

“…The incidence of bacterial pneumonia has been shown to be lower in ventilated ICU patients when filters are used [3] whereas the evidence for viral cross-infection from contaminated breathing systems [4], despite much publicity, seems largely anecdotal. Anaesthetists do not seem to regard medicolegal reasons as strong grounds for filter use, perhaps because the risks of successful litigation are not perceived as being great.…”