The end of TVC/Endo testing??

[Ian Wilde]

With the advent of endotoxin filters and their appearance on all new machines, is the requirement for monthly testing from our water plants on the demise?

Have standards been written against old technology?

If you can leave 6 months between testing at a home patient, why not in centre?

What do you think?  Is it something to be looked at as we move forward?  Does your trend data from your testing say otherwise?

[Roger Moore]

Possibly a topic for debate and discussion at conference?

[Chris Bates]

I agree.

5 years testing at 4 units gave us only one minor breach of ultrapure limits for EU (0.04) and only 2 tests >1 CFU

Our older system (18 years) was not disinfected very much for a long time and has only been >0.1 EU twice and >10 CFU once in the last 5 years.

This water is then further filtered by one or 2 endotoxin filters

[fraser gilmour]

I agree with Roger, it would make a good conference session, anyone volunteers?

I think although the guidance for testing makes certain recommendations, it does allow you to relax the frequency based on historical trends. We've been slowly reducing our frequency based on the evidence built up over the years.
TVC/endo is done every six months at home and in-centre. After five years of being six monthly the trace metals mandatory suite has now gone to annual, done in July when the incoming water is at it's warmest.

On the very rare occasion we pick up an abnormal result (which has only ever happened at home locations, and only ever TVC/endo ) we've redone the test without taking any remedial action and it's come back as expected. The assumption being it was down to some kind of external contamination or sampling error.