Page 22 - NTM Insight Pamphlet 2024

• Use a water filter with pores of 0.2 micrometer diameter to prevent the passage of bacteria and thereby reduce exposure to waterborne pathogens including nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), and to serve as an immediate barrier against gram-negative bacteria, fungi, and parasites.
For a list of water filters with 0.2 micrometer diameter, please visit ntminfo.org.
• To prolong the life of an in-line 0.2 micrometer filter, you can install a 1-5 micrometer filter upstream of the 0.2 micrometer filter to collect large particles that would clog the pores of the 0.2 micrometer filter.
• Be sure to change any water filters very regularly as indicated by the manufacturer or when the water volume or flow is no longer as strong.
• Raise the temperature of water heater to 55° C (131° F).
• Use humidifiers with caution. Avoid ultrasonic humidifiers if possible and clean your humidifier’s reservoir frequently. Soak it in undiluted bleach for 30 minutes and rinse it thoroughly. Use sterilized water in the humidifier.
• Wear a dust mask to prevent inhalation of dirt particles while working with potting soil or in the garden and wet the soil to reduce the number of particles released into the air.
• Take steps to reduce GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), including elevating the head of the bed.
• Do NOT store cleaning supplies in the AC return air closet.
• Medical tourism (where a patient travels for less expensive cosmetic procedures) has sharply increased the number of extrapulmonary NTM infections in skin and soft tissue. As a patient, if you are considering any kind of cosmetic procedure, you should be fully aware beforehand of all the risks and ensure any facility or practitioner you use takes every precaution to maintain a sterile field, sterile equipment, and sterile implants or injectables.
For more detailed information on these and other measures to reduce exposure, log on to ntminfo.org.
INSIGHT - A Patient’s Perspective
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