In response to a recent research report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), Olympus has claimed that there is no link between its endoscopes and for a series of over 200 superbug infections around the world. The constant legal battles that Olympus is facing have yet to find the Japanese company solely responsible […]
Olympus Denies Link Between Its Scopes And Superbugs Read More »
A research report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has revealed that the number of superbug infections in patients following the use of an Olympus endoscope totaled over 190 between 2012 and 2015 in the United States and Europe. The number of deaths linked to patients infected with superbugs and the role superbugs
Research Reveals Number Of Superbug Infections Tied To Olympus Endoscopes Read More »
Over the last several years, endoscope-related outbreaks from around the US and the world have led to increased oversight of the endoscope high-level disinfection (HLD) process at many hospitals. Many hospitals are now finding themselves in a struggle to oversee the HLD process at their facilities without introducing too much oversight and intervention into the
Scope Documentation Lacking? This Technology Can Help Read More »
As the United States Department of Justice continues to examine Olympus’ role in infections related to the use of its duodenoscopes, the company is setting aside millions of dollars in reserves to cover expected losses from related lawsuits. As the leader in duodenoscope and endoscope sales in the US, Olympus expects to bear a majority
Olympus Continues To Set Aside Reserves For Expected Scope-Related Lawsuits Read More »
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
Improper Ultrasound Probe Disinfection Leads To Class Action Lawsuit Read More »
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
Top Health Technology Hazards List For 2019 Includes Endoscope Reprocessing Read More »
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
Study Reveals Bronchoscopes Ready For Use On Patients Are Still Dirty Read More »
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
How Patients Are Being Coached To Question Their Hospital’s Scope Cleaning Practices Read More »
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
Caught In The Act: Can You Stop Dirty Scopes From Being Stored With Your Clean Scopes? Read More »
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
Study Shows Bronchoscopes Still Dirty After Reprocessing Read More »