MHAUS (the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States) has concluded their evaluation of the Vapor-Clean filters and has issued the following statement concerning their use:
"For both new and older machines, adding commercially available activated charcoal filters (Vapor-Clean, Dynasthetics) to the circuit will remove anesthetic gases and obviate the need for purging the system as described. However, the anesthesia machine will still need to be flushed with high fresh gas flows (= 10 L/min) for 90 seconds prior to placing the activated charcoal filters on both the inspiratory and expiratory ports. These filters are effective in keeping gas concentration below 5 ppm for up to 12 hours with fresh gas flows of at least 3 L/min." Read more at mhaus.org
"Hyperventilate with 100% oxygen at flows of 10L/min to flush volatile anesthetics and lower ETCO2. If available, insert activated charcoal filters (Vapor-Clean™, Dynasthetics, Salt Lake City, UT) into the inspiratory and expiratory limbs of the breathing circuit. The Vapor-Clean™ filter may become saturated after one hour; therefore, a replacement set of filters should be substituted after each hour of use."Read more at mhaus.org
Further, MHAUS President Henry Rosenburg, MD issued this statement on the MHAUS website (See his full article here):
“At the MHAUS hotline consultants/professional advisory council meeting in May of 2011, we examined the evidence for the use of these devices in preparation of the anesthesia machine and several of the consultants then trialed the devices clinically. We were all impressed that the device (called Vapor-Clean) did what the investigators said it would: rapidly reduce the concentration of anesthetic gases entering into the patient from the anesthesia machine to practically zero!”
The statement comes after several months of evaluations conducted by physicians and professionals who serve as volunteers on the Board of Directors governing MHAUS and the Professional Advisory Council which advises the Board on formulation of all MHAUS medical policies and decisions.
MHAUS has over 2,000 members including MH-susceptible patients and their family, medical professionals, corporations, and others who are keenly interested in MH. The mission of MHAUS is to promote optimum care and scientific understanding of MH and related disorders. MHAUS has directly contributed to saving lives by making the best medical and scientific advice available to all health care providers concerning MH 24 hours every day through their MH Hotline.
