The use of heater-cooler devices has been associated with nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) infections, primarily in patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgeries, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned today.
Heater-cooler devices are used during medical and surgical procedures to warm or cool a patient, as appropriate. The devices include water tanks that provide temperature-controlled water to external heat exchangers or warming/cooling blankets through closed circuits.
Although the water in the circuits does not come into direct contact with the patient, there is the potential for contaminated water to enter other parts of the device or transmit bacteria through the air, via the device's exhaust vent, into the environment and to the patient, the FDA notes in a safety communication posted on its website.
Between January 2010 and August 2015, the FDA received 32 reports of patient infections associated with heater-cooler devices or bacterial heater-cooler device contamination, with 25 reported this year.
"Some reports describe NTM infections related to cardiothoracic surgeries, but other reports do not specify the procedure the patient was undergoing," the FDA notes. Eight reports were related to three events describing patient infections occurring in US healthcare facilities, whereas the other 24 reports involved facilities outside the United States, mostly in Western Europe.
In some cases, patients presented with infections several months to years after their surgical procedure. The FDA is not aware of NTM infections acquired by hospital staff.
The FDA says it is "actively" monitoring the situation and will provide updates as appropriate.
The aim of today's safety communication is to "heighten awareness about infections associated with heater-cooler devices and steps health care providers and health facilities can take to mitigate risks to patients," they say.
Recommendations
In addition to following standard precautions, the FDA recommends that healthcare facilities and staff using heater-cooler devices consider implementing the following measures to reduce risk to patients:
Strictly adhere to the cleaning and disinfection instructions provided in the manufacturer's device labeling. Ensure you have the most current version of the manufacturers' instructions for use readily available to promote adherence.
Do not use tap water to rinse, fill, refill or top-off water tanks, as this may introduce NTM organisms. Use only sterile water or water that has been passed through a filter of less than or equal to 0.22 microns. When making ice needed for patient cooling during surgical procedures, use only sterile water or water that has been passed through a filter of less than or equal to 0.22 microns. Deionized water and sterile water created through reverse osmosis is not recommended because it may promote corrosion of the metal components of the system.
Direct the heater-cooler's vent exhaust away from the surgical field to mitigate the risk of aerosolizing heater-cooler tank water into the sterile field and exposing the patient.
Establish regular cleaning, disinfection, and maintenance schedules for heater-cooler devices according to the manufacturers' instructions to minimize the risk for bacterial growth and subsequent patient infection.
Develop and follow a comprehensive quality control program for maintenance, cleaning, and disinfection of heater-cooler devices. Your program may include written procedures for monitoring adherence to the program and documenting set up, cleaning, and disinfection processes before and after use.
Immediately remove from service heater-cooler devices that show discoloration or cloudiness in the fluid lines/circuits, which may indicate bacterial growth. Consult your hospital infection control officials to perform the appropriate follow-up measures and report events of device contamination to the manufacturer.
Consider performing environmental, air, and water sampling and monitoring if heater-cooler contamination is suspected. Environmental monitoring requires specialized expertise and equipment to collect and process samples, which may not be feasible in all facilities.
Healthcare facilities should follow their internal procedures for notifying and culturing patients if they suspect infection associated with heater-cooler devices.
Submit a report to the manufacturer and to the FDA via MedWatch if you suspect heater-cooler devices have led to patient infections.
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Cite this: FDA Warns Infections a Risk With Heater-Cooler Devices - Medscape - Oct 15, 2015.
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