Nebuliser exhaust pipe.

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Hi everyone. this is my first time posting but visit the site regularly and have found the posting very useful. I was diagnosed with non-cf bronchiectasis 5 years ago, and 2 years ago found that both my lungs were colonised with pseudomonas. After 4 courses of Ciprofloxacin this year, I was prescribed twice daily nebulised colomycin by the consultant a month ago. Has anyone any tips on getting the condensate out of a 3m nebuliser exhaust tube which goes out of the window? I shake it after use and hang it over a hook on the door, but can't get rid of the drops of liquid along its length. Another problem is that the instructions I was given was to use the nebuliser alone, in a closed room, and for the room to be closed after and for nobody to enter it for an hour. My wife and I spend 5 or 6 months of the year touring round Europe and Britain in our caravan, so it would mean my wife having to be outside the caravan for about 80 minutes each time I used the nebuliser. How important is it to stick to these rules?

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One does wonder whether the people giving this advice ever think first! I have an I-Neb now but used an ordinary compressor for years, just hosing it out of the window, & my husband is still in tip-top health! My advice was from the Brompton physios, who of course are experts. They said there’s no need to worry about the drops of condensation along the length of the hose. Also provided your wife has no lung problems you don’t need to do that closed room stuff. When you’re in hospital with vulnerable chest patients they may want you to nebulise in a separate room (though even then it’s often not practical.)

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First time I was given Colymicin to neb, I was on a general lung ward. Fortunately my bed was next to a window which the nurse opened slightly and stuck the exhaust pipe through the open window. But when I'd finished she just drew the pipe back in, didn't remove it or clean it in any way. Most of the other patients had COPD, so hopefully they wouldn't be affected.

[RoadRunner44]

Hello, I have bronchiectasis and nebulize colomycin. Unfortunately, when my consultant retired I was lost in the system for over a year. I have now developed a number of health problems which may or maybe linked to the long term use of the colomycin, without any break. I was told at the beginning of use the same as you regarding the daily routine of administering the colomycin. I also find there remains some droplets of the medication left in the coil. When I mentioned this, the nurse suggested I was letting in water somehow. I was given a new set of accessories and the same thing happened. I finally was given a new set of accessories, minus the long coil to hang out of the window. This one is intended to be used without the problem of the coil and can each one be used just once and thrown away. . Unfortunately, I was given a small number of these to begin with but have to supply the accessories myself from now on which is quite expensive. The alternstive is the coil again.

The nurses insist I must be letting in the moisture, but I know it's the remainder of the medication. There's no way of cleaning the clear plastic tubing so I am at a loss as to what to do. I may have to stop the colomycin after Christmas because apparently I've been on it too long. Perhaps some of our other members will have answers for us. Best wishes. Chrys

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Reading this thread I am losing the will to live. Professionals giving advice should know what they are talking about but so seldom do. Think about it. You breathe in a mist made up of water and antibiotic. You breathe out the same mist and it goes down the tube. Any vapour will leave water droplets behind in that length of tube. That is where the water droplets are cpming from, not a leak.

I now use an eneb and the cotton wool pads designed to absorb the exiting vapour are always wet.

I could go on to tell you all that in pver 20 years of nebilising abs I have never used the tube, mostly because I neb in my own bedroom. and open the window to get rid of the smell. I have never poisoned anybody, not even the dog.

But I won't tell you that because everybody will throw up their hands in horror and run round in circles because ever changing hospital protocol is sacrosanct.

You could put your tube out of the caravan window then your poor wife won't have to be a refugee for 80 mins.

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Many thanks for your replies. They have eased my concerns. best wishes for Christmas and the new year.

Trevor

[Joy123]

Tell the hospital it’s all too much for you and could they see if you’re suitable to use an iNeb. It’s a small, hand held, battery charged device, no hose, no venting out the window. They don’t like to prescribe them as you can only use one manufacturers product in it and it’s expensive. I’ve had mine for over 10 years and wouldn’t be without it. Good luck but you’ll have to be pushy. Do some research so you know what you’re talking about. Joy. x