John J. Hill, BA, RRT-NPS, Director Respiratory Care Services; Michael J. Neary, MD, Director MICU/SICU, Associate Medical Director Respiratory Care Services; Caroline Panichello, CRT/RPFT, Respiratory Care Staff; Deborah Heart and Lung Center, Browns Mills, NJ, USA

Presented at the 55th Annual International Respiratory Conference (AARC 2009).

This study demonstrated that manufacturer-recommended backflushing does not adequately disinfect internal suction regulator passages. The novel approach to device sterilization offered by the Boehringer Regulator, wherein traditional, well-accepted autoclave techniques are employed to optimize device disinfection, would appear to offer a substantial clinical advantage in the prevention of nosocomial infections.