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Heating Appliances Carry A Disease Transmission Risk

Decent Essays

A Thermoplastic device is one of the immobilization devices used to immobilize cancer patients during radiation therapy treatment, such as head and neck cancers. One way to form a thermoplastic device is to use one of the heating devices that are specifically designed to fabricate customized thermoplastic immobilization in the optimal conditions. The patients may be at risk of infection from heating devices used to produce their masks. In this study, authors assess individual facility practices where water baths or other heating appliances are used to fabricate thermoplastic immobilization devices to determine whether heating appliances carry a disease transmission risk. - The author’s purpose, approach or methods, hypothesis, and major conclusions. Purpose To determine whether heating appliances used to fabricate customized thermoplastic immobilization devices carry a disease transmission risk. Background Current literature provides ample evidence that water baths used in health care settings are potential reservoirs for microorganisms associated with patient infections. Such results suggest a similar potential for heating appliances used to fabricate thermoplastic forms. Methods The authors conducted on-site surveys of both equipment and procedures used to produce immobilization forms in several medical facilities. Each heating appliance was sampled for its microbial content and the data analyzed for growth trends. Results Twelve heating appliances were sampled. Five (42%)

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