American journal of infection control
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Am J Infect Control · Apr 1995
The effects of circuit and humidifier type on contamination potential during mechanical ventilation: a laboratory study.
This study was undertaken because of concerns that ventilator humidifiers could be exacerbating the problem of nosocomial pneumonia in patients receiving mechanical ventilation. ⋯ Bubble-through humidifiers produce aerosols that readily contaminate both circuit condensate and effluent gas. Avoiding bubble-through humidifiers should improve patient safety while allowing changes in practice that can result in significant cost savings.