Rebreather hygiene question

[Codiak]

I don't share my loop with anyone, even life long friends that just want to "try it".

It's not paranoid, it's not about reducing risk, it's about eliminating a potential risk.

That said... if I wanted to try a new model I'd either volenteer to go first or ask for a cleaning and pay for the scrubber if required

 

[DanBMW]

Your fears are very real.

I do not dive a re-breather, but I'm around several instructors who do.

I have watched VERY knowledgeable people clean and disinfect their own re-breathers because of their fear of germs. These people dive very often and any type of lung infection has them on the sidelines.

They are very meticulous about how they clean their own re-breathers and it is time consuming. A germ environment is one of their fears and they take it quite seriously. I would not try or use one that was not throughly cleaned.

 

[padiscubapro]

When I do rebreather try outs, I'm not concerned with the scrubber, but I disenfect/rinse the hoses, mouthpiece and lungs between divers..

Your fears are very real.

I do not dive a re-breather, but I'm around several instructors who do.

I have watched VERY knowledgeable people clean and disinfect their own re-breathers because of their fear of germs. These people dive very often and any type of lung infection has them on the sidelines.

They are very meticulous about how they clean their own re-breathers and it is time consuming. A germ environment is one of their fears and they take it quite seriously. I would not try or use one that was not throughly cleaned.

 

[rigdiver]

When you have surgery be sure and tell this to the Anesthesiologist or CRNA because they do not change sorb between pts. The circuit/"loop" is changed, but not the scrubber media. Usually Grace brand Sodasorb.

I don't share my loop with anyone, even life long friends that just want to "try it".

It's not paranoid, it's not about reducing risk, it's about eliminating a potential risk.

That said... if I wanted to try a new model I'd either volenteer to go first or ask for a cleaning and pay for the scrubber if required

 

[Gombessa]

A question from someone who knows next to nothing about rebreathers:

Does a rebreather that is shared present a significantly higher chance of infection over one that is not shared, but also not thoroughly disinfected between dive days?

The only parallel I can draw is with a drysuit p-valve, which I share with no one, but which I do disinfect meticulously after finishing a dive day out of concern for UTI.

Thanks.

 

[rigdiver]

Yes. And walking into walmart with people sneezing increases your chance of getting TB.

 

[Gombessa]

Yes. And walking into walmart with people sneezing increases your chance of getting TB.

That's exactly the kind of analogy I was thinking about. But compare walking into a Walmart, to what? Hocking a loogie into a bag, leaving it in the corner of your garage for a couple of weeks, and slurping it back up? Which would I rather do? Given the choice, strolling Walmart during flu season doesn't seem all that bad

I don't mean to sound flippant, I just want to know how apt such an analogy is. After all, even druggies know it's best not to share needles, but also not to reuse needles, right? Is the fear really of dire TB/herpes/HIV rather than opportunistic lung infections (and in which case, do you also not perform air-share drills on OC?)?

Thanks.

 

[rigdiver]

People with TB/Herpes/HIV generally are not in the dive community. They are, as a rule, too sick to participate in this demanding of a sport. Not saying it can't, but probably not. TB and HIV are nasty diseases and those suffering don't feel well enough to dive.
Now, an un-sanititized rebreather sitting anywhere for a few weeks is likely to grow some bugs in numbers a healthy individual can't cope with. Warm, dark, moist environment is a breeding heaven for bacteria. Most people clean/disinfect after using their unit and do it again if it's been stored for any period of time.
Bill

 

[Sas]

Is the fear really of dire TB/herpes/HIV rather than opportunistic lung infections (and in which case, do you also not perform air-share drills on OC?)?

I will not practice air sharing with someone who has cold sores or a cold and in fact I try to avoid having to do those drills at all with anyone unless I know the person first. I agree that people with TB and HIV (not that HIV is a worry from saliva) are probably too sick to dive. I know people with Hepatitis who are not.

 

[abnfrog]

i do allot of rebreather try outs we ALWAYS clean the mouth piece and the intake side hoses (nothing will live threw the scubber ) we use virkon it takes only a minute PLUS shows we care . for the cost of the time plus virkon its well worth it