bacterial infection in breathing tubes

[LateXL]

Hi all,

i just got well form a very serious bacterial throat infection. It occured after a heavy rubber weekend where i stayed rubbered with only a breathing tube for several long periods. I use plastic aquarium tubes becuase they are easy to clean: pulling through a piece of wire with a paper handkerchief will do. Also i desinfect them now and then.
I'm not sure if the tubes were the cause of my infection, but it is very likely.
Maybe combined with some kind of slumbering flu?

Anyone any ideas or reflections about this?

greetings

LateXL

[Ian]

After each use you could disinfect the tubes by submerging them and give them a good dunking in a bleach solution (kills 99.9% of know germs and all that) and then give them a few good rinses to remove any bleach odour. This should provide 100% contact with the internal walls of the tube.

[alphax]

LateXL, how did the doctor know that the throat infection was bacterial, as opposed to the garden variety sore throat?

[Android_Gimpy6456]

LateXL, how did the doctor know that the throat infection was bacterial, as opposed to the garden variety sore throat?

They find out by swabbing the throat and get a culture on the swab. HOPE THAT HELPED!!!

[LateXL]

It was not just a sore throat: the infection became a huge abscess (is that the word in English?) that almost closed my thraot: unvoluntary breathcontrol

My point is: a lot of the tubes used for hoods and suits are black rubber so that you cannot see if there is any deposit inside... i really wonder if tube-users (you-tubers...) are cleaning the tubes after each use....(and what does bleach do to rubber???)

LateXL

[peegee]

It was not just a sore throat: the infection became a huge abscess (is that the word in English?) that almost closed my thraot: unvoluntary breathcontrol

My point is: a lot of the tubes used for hoods and suits are black rubber so that you cannot see if there is any deposit inside... i really wonder if tube-users (you-tubers...) are cleaning the tubes after each use....(and what does bleach do to rubber???)

LateXL

It's good that you can joke about it, Latexl!

It's a good point you make. A breathing tube could easily be a little damp after use, and dark, damp places are good for bacteria. I think that washing in water with a little bleach added would do the trick. I have found that a dilute bleach solution does no harm to rubber, although you may detect a faint, lingering aroma.

[Wired]

and what harm does bleach do to rubber...?


None at all mate, even in strong concentrations.

You might find it goes a little slipperier than usual though.

[MissFuzzyBunny]

Thank you for this thread. A little extra care makes all the difference!

[Garlor]

I remember a bad session when I used some old corrugated rubber tubing and started coughing. It was not a bio hazard but it was the inside of the tubing breaking up into small fragments. I spent a lot of time rinsing the insides of all my tubes after that.
And during my time in the Royal Air Force I recall that at the end of each training session using our respirators(gas masks) we would dunk them in a big tub of anti bacterial liquid wash solution.

[drgummi]

Hi all,

i just got well form a very serious bacterial throat infection. It occured after a heavy rubber weekend where i stayed rubbered with only a breathing tube for several long periods. I use plastic aquarium tubes becuase they are easy to clean: pulling through a piece of wire with a paper handkerchief will do. Also i desinfect them now and then.
I'm not sure if the tubes were the cause of my infection, but it is very likely.
Maybe combined with some kind of slumbering flu?

Anyone any ideas or reflections about this?

greetings

LateXL

Yes, it's equally likely that wasn't the source. There are some astonishingly nasty bugs around at the moment: one friend of mine was briefly hospitalised with one ... and I don't think that she, is you!