[Copper poisoning caused by humidifiers?].
Humidifiers are rapidly contaminated with organisms and become a dangerous source of bacterial propagation unless special measures are taken. The growth of these organisms can be completely avoided by introducing metallic copper into the reservoir of humidifiers, as proposed as early as 1970 by Dean. The authors demonstrate experimentally that only nebulizers, in contrast to draw-over humidifiers and "bubblers", yield measurable quantities of copper. In a clinical study urine copper and plasma levels were measured in patients ventilated through a humidifier working on the draw-over principle. The results were compared with another group of patients ventilated with an aerosol of water containing copper. Copper excretion in the urine of this group rose well above the upper limit of normal between the second and fourth day, whereas copper in the urine of the first group (draw-over) remained within the normal range all the time. With a few exceptions the copper level in the plasma of both groups remained within normal limits. Plasma caeruloplasmin determination in both groups revealed no abnormal levels, a fact which appears to indicate that an overdose of copper could virtually be excluded. Nor were there clinical symptoms of copper intoxication.
D002570:Ceruloplasmin / Q000032:analysis; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism / Q000506:poisoning*; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D012138:Respiratory Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*
D003300:Copper; D002570:Ceruloplasmin
Kupferintoxikation durch Atemluftbefeuchter?