Tap water in oxygen, ventilator is also responsible for mucormycosis

Aurangabad, May 18:

Corona patients are being given large doses of steroids and Remdesivir injections. Ventilators, oxygen are being used extensively to save the lives of patients. The use of tap water instead of distilled water in ventilators and oxygen bottles puts the patient at risk for mucormycosis (black fungus). Therefore, the municipal corporation has sent a letter to the private and government hospitals in the city asking them to immediately clean the ventilators and oxygen bottles and use distilled water, said municipal health office Dr Nita Padalkar.

The number of patients with mucormycosis is increasing in the city. Because mucormycosis is a fungal disease, infections have been reported in people recovered from coronavirus. These patients develop fungal infections from the nose (sinuses). It further spreads to the eyes, jaw, and brain. In the city, 201 patients have been diagnosed with mucormycosis and 16 patients have died. There are 148 patients with steroids and 110 with oxygen deficiency. One of the main reasons from the findings of the health department on what can cause mucormycosis is that distilled water is not used in oxygen and ventilator bottles to treat critically ill patients with corona in government and private hospitals. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to use only distilled water in oxygen and ventilator bottles. The municipal corporation has immediately issued a letter on Tuesday and sent it to government and private hospitals in the city. The letter states that the ventilators and oxygen bottles should be cleaned and sterilized daily, these bottles should be washed with hot water, distilled water should be used without placing tap water in the bottle, and the date of change of bottled water should be put on the bottle.

Daily cleaning at Meltron hospital

The use of tap water in the bottle while using the ventilator and oxygen has been found to cause black fungus. Therefore, distilled water is being used to clean the oxygen bottles in the Meltron covid center. Hospitals should also use distilled water, said Dr Padalkar.