Safe Cleaning and Disinfection of Ventilators: ECRI's Recommendations

Ventilator vendors are inconsistent in their recommendations for preventing cross-contamination between patients. For example:

1. Some vendors—but not all—explicitly recommend that, after every patient, facilities perform high-level disinfection on the exhalation valve and any other components that are in the path of exhaled gases.

2. Some vendors provide detailed cleaning and disinfecting information but make...