Airway Filters
airway filter airway management breathing circuit circuit education infection control safety Oct 23, 2023
Ever wondered what those filters actually do? 🤷🏽♀️🤷🏼♂️
Their real name is Heat & Moisture Exchanger Filter (HME Filter), and they are an essential part of the anaesthetic breathing circuit.☝🏻
It plays two vital roles:
1️⃣ Heat and humidity
Intubation bypasses all the natural humidification features of the upper airways, so we need a method of preserving the heat and humidity of the gas entering the patient’s lungs.
The HME filter prevents the patient’s airways drying out and helps maintain core body temperature.
2️⃣ Infection control
The filter captures 99.9% of bacteria and viral particles, which prevents cross contamination between patients via the anaesthetic machine.
✔️They are safe, easy to use, cheap, and don’t add too much resistance to the circuit.
✔️They also host a connection for the gas analyser.
For such a simple piece of equipment it sure has an important role in patient safety! 👏 Just remember, you need a new HME Filter for EVERY patient.
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