From the 1999 edition of Lawrence:  "Pumps have been identified repeatedly
as the source of infection." (citing a 1987 study by A Moloney in J Hospt
Infect 9:169). Lawrence goes on to say..."the equipment should be checked on
a routine basis, cleaned, and bacteriologically tested.  Accessory equipment
(disposable) can be resterilized for the same patient but not for a second
patient." (pgs699-710)

Citing studies from Blenkharn, Donowitz, Gransden, Hunter, Meier, and the
same Maloney study Lawrence cites above, Kittie Frants states in her
Breastfeeding Product Guide (1994):  "Another safety issue is the potential
situation of milk getting into the pump mechanism.  This could contaminate
milk from future pumpings and can be a serious issue of cross contamination
in rental pumps due to bacteria or viruses such as AIDS, CMV and Hepatitis
virus."  (I would add here that any single user pump whose motor can't be
sterilized is at great risk for this happening and should not be re-used.
As I've posted before, take such a pump and open it up and examine the motor
casing.  There will be milk-dandruff in there.)

My copy of Riordan and Auerbach is out on loan, but there is a substantial
section on this issue in that text as well.

When I rented Lactinas, I sprayed each of them after they were returned with
Cavicide.  Some of the worst bacteriological contamination in studies that
Riordan and Auerbach discussed were from crusts of dripped milk on
chronically uncleaned pump cases in hospitals.  Given that an ER in San
Antonio was found to be the vector for infecting several people with Hep C
from dried secretions on a blood pressure cuff, I find it incredible that in
our profession we appear not to be reading the literature on this issue.

Barbara Wilson-Clay BSEd, IBCLC
Austin Lactation Associates
http://www.lactnews.com

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