Infection Control

Improper Ultrasound Probe Disinfection Leads To Class Action Lawsuit

A hospital in Western Pennsylvania has recently been hit with a class action lawsuit from patients who underwent ultrasound procedures at the hospital. UPMC Jameson, a hospital in the UPMC Health System, had recently reached out to more than 200 patients who underwent ultrasound procedures at the hospital from October 2017 to October 2018. Attorney […]

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Top Health Technology Hazards List For 2019 Includes Endoscope Reprocessing

The ECRI Institute, based in Philadelphia, has just released its annual list of health technology hazards for 2019.  Endoscope reprocessing once again appears on the list, coming in as the number 5 hazard for 2019. The Top 10 Health Technology Hazards List is the result of extensive research by ECRI’s engineers, scientists and clinicians, as

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Study Reveals Bronchoscopes Ready For Use On Patients Are Still Dirty

Several recent studies have shown that despite best efforts to follow manufacturer reprocessing guidelines, bronchoscopes deemed ready for patient use are still contaminated at a high rate. Some of the most recent research highlighting the difficulties of disinfecting bronchoscopes was published by Cori Ofstead, MSPH. In a recent presentation at the annual meeting of the

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How Patients Are Being Coached To Question Their Hospital’s Scope Cleaning Practices

With the numerous reports coming out lately about the difficulty in cleaning endoscopes and ensuring complete disinfection, the mainstream media has started to coach patients on how to select a hospital that’s right for their scope-related procedures. With the concern for scope safety increasing every day, facilities must now prepare to answer tough questions about

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Caught In The Act: Can You Stop Dirty Scopes From Being Stored With Your Clean Scopes?

Does this scenario sound familiar to you? Your hospital has a great set of processes and protocols in place when it comes to reprocessing your flexible endoscopes. You even have a great system for logging clean scopes in and out of your scope storage areas. You believe that your staff are properly trained, re-certified and

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Study Shows Bronchoscopes Still Dirty After Reprocessing

A new study has shown that flexible bronchoscopes that were reprocessed according to institutional standards at several US hospitals were still found to be dirty in a majority of the cases. The study was presented at the 2018 Association for Professionals in Infection Control (APIC) Conference. The study on bronchoscopes now joins other recent studies

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The 4 Steps Of An Endoscope Risk Assessment

Flexible endoscopes continue to make headlines due to the risk of infection stemming from their use on patients. Many hospitals find themselves in the unenviable position of determining how they can perform critical endoscope-based procedures while minimizing the risk of infection. There is ample evidence showing that endoscopes can spread life-threatening illnesses when not properly

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Infection Rates From Colonoscopies Greatly Exceed Prior Estimates

A recent study conducted by Johns Hopkins reveals that colonoscopies performed at ambulatory surgery centers lead to post-procedure infection rates that greatly surpass previous estimates. The study, sponsored by the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, studied the results of colonoscopies and upper-GI endoscopies (EGDs) performed

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Medical Device Recalls Reach Historic Highs In 2018

The first quarter of 2018 included 343 medical device recalls by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This was the highest for a first calendar quarter of any year on record and was up 126% from 2017. Experts point to the proliferation of software on medical devices as a primary driver for the record

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ASGE Releases New Infection Control Guidelines For Endoscopy

The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy recently released guidelines for infection control during GI endoscopy and related procedures. The guidelines come at a time when reports of endoscope-related infections are becoming more prevalent in the media. While the overall incidences of such infections are rarely reported, there is a strong possibility of underreporting of adverse

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