Sterililzing with vaporiser: new study

Question

A friend of mine wrote recently to the author of a study in Austria, in order for ask her about the security of a certain, very popular vaporiser (Mamajoo with drying function). The lady answered firstly, that the Mamajoo had been tested and was a hatchery for germs (via the drying function the surrounding air is blown on the inhalation devices); and secondly, she said, that the best method would be the following:
to sterilize the inhalation devices and to let them stand wet in the vaporiser until the next usage and then use them again.
The study of question (http://www.cysticfibrosisjournal.com/article/S1569-1993%2815%2900167-8/fulltext) tested sterilizing protocols, hereby of course devices have been used. Mamajoo had also been tested among others, was however not the important message; more likely the important message was, as mentioned above, that the best way of sterilizing inhalative equipment was to let the sterilized eiquipment stand wet but closed in the vaporiser until used again; instead of the known dogma: only use dry inhalation devices!
This caused great reactions in our patient group, because this is opposed to the advice we got until now. Therefore it would be great, if you could give us a well-informed adivce on this.
Many thanks in advance,

Answer

Dear questioner,
the Mamajoo vaporiser is described by the manufacturer (Mamajoo company) as a digital steam vaporiser, dryer, warmer of baby food, warmer of baby bottles, steam cooker. The product list of Mamajoo is targeted for babies. The Mamajoo vaporiser product information does not describe sterilistaion of nebulizers. That does of course not mean, that the vaporiser can only be used for the sterilization of baby bottles, however hereby the known rules of disinfection should be followed until the opposite can be proven. The manufacturer does not give any advice, how a disinfection of the Mamajoo vaporiser can be done.
Probably there are studies on this, which are however not known to us. Many thanks for the link to the literature. Until the opposite can be proven (this is however not done by the mentioned article) it is recommended to inhale with dry inhalation devices, as one takes by this the lifelyhood of humid germs away. Possibly the function as a dryer of the Mamajoo vaporiser is playing a role when a statement is made that the inhalation devices should stay in the closed vaporiser after sterilizing until usage. This is however only speculation. Therefore it stays for now at the recommendation: usage of dry inhalation devices for inhalation.
We hope to have helped you with the answer a bit and stay with our best regards,
Yours
Dr. Christina Smaczny

18.03.2016