The recent revelation of a potential endoscope-related outbreak at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar reminds us once again of the risks that improperly reprocessed scopes represent to our patients. This unfortunate episode potentially exposed 135 airmen to such diseases as HIV, hepatitis B and C and other potentially fatal bugs. The most disturbing […]
What A Recent Outbreak in a US Military Hospital Can Teach Us Read More »
The recent issues surrounding scope-related infections continue to gather media attention. A recent article by the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette follows the story of how UPMC in Pittsburgh, PA has managed its endoscope reprocessing since a scope-related outbreak in 2012. In the article, UPMC points to its adoption of additional steps added to its reprocessing guidelines since
Spotlight on New Best Practices For Scope Reprocessing Read More »
Hospitals and healthcare providers are under increased scrutiny by The Joint Commission (TJC), the FDA, DNV and even Congress to improve the documentation practices around flexible endoscope usage. There are articles are in the media seemingly every day about how a hospital was cited, sued or otherwise put in a negative light around their endoscope
Why Your Automated Endoscope Reprocessor Is Not a Documentation System Read More »
The first trial accusing Olympus Corp. of wrongdoing associated with contaminated duodenoscopes in US hospitals is underway. The case surrounds the death of Richard Bigler, a 57 year-old patient who underwent a scope procedure while battling pancreatic cancer in 2013. It’s alleged that during the procedure, a tainted duodenoscope at Virginia Mason Medical Center passed
First Olympus Superbug Trial Underway And What It Means For All Hospitals Read More »
All successful endoscopy practices within private practices and hospitals face the same dilemma – how do I track down scopes that have gone missing? With numerous docs, interns, techs and nurses all having access to all the scopes in your facility, it’s a near impossibility to keep track of all of your scopes with 100%
How To Make Your Scopes Tell You When They’re Missing Read More »
There has been a lot of discussion lately about the number of days a flexible endoscope can safely be in storage before another cleaning is required. Different medical societies like SGNA, ASGE, AORN and APIC have come out with guidance on what the appropriate hang-time limits are. Some hospitals that we’ve talked to have listened
How To Make Your Scopes Tell You When They Need To Be Washed Read More »
A recent incident in the Philadelphia area reminds us of the dangers that can result from improperly trained staff in the endoscopy area of a hospital. In the incident, an elderly patient undergoing a surgical procedure had an improperly cleaned endoscope used on them during their procedure. The incident occurred at Crozer-Chester Medical Center, outside
The Risk Of Improperly Trained Staff In The Endoscopy Suite Read More »
A recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that mortality of patients during Joint Commission surveys was reduced by 6% compared to before and after the surveys. The study, authored by Andrew Olenski, Michael Barnett and Anupam Jena, attributed the improved patient outcomes to the “Hawthorne Effect.” The “Hawthorne Effect” suggests that people actively
Why Patient Outcomes Improve During Joint Commission Surveys Read More »
In hospitals, endoscopy, perioperative, sterile processing and infection control teams have done a wonderful job of teaming up together to implement solutions for effective flexible endoscope management. This area has been one of the biggest, if not the biggest, area of scrutiny by Joint Commission and other surveying agencies in the past 1.5 years. We
Are You Able To Inspect What You Expect? Read More »
Recently, the Joint Commission (TJC) released its recommendations on how to create a culture of safety within healthcare organizations. As hospitals work to create safer environments for their staff and patients, a culture of safety has become tantamount to reaching their operational goals. A culture of safety can have several positive effects at a healthcare
Joint Commission’s Recommendations on Creating a Culture of Safety Read More »