Infection Control

Duodenoscope Safety Continues To Move Forward With First Disposable Model

January 3, 2020 / Hospital Management, Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety /

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the first fully disposable duodenoscope on the market. The industry believes that a move to disposable parts, and now fully disposable scopes, will help reduce infection risks. Poorly disinfected duodenoscopes have been linked to numerous cases of superbug outbreaks over the past several years. The […]

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Joint Commission Increases Scrutiny Of Endoscope Reprocessing Procedures

October 12, 2021 / Hospital Management, Infection Control, Joint Commission, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety /

With endoscope cleaning procedures continuing to be a focus for hospitals emphasizing patient safety, the Joint Commission has also increased its scrutiny of reprocessing protocols at its member hospitals. In order to minimize the chances of using poorly reprocessed endoscopes, hospitals should concentrate on understanding endoscope instructions for use and knowing the evidence-based guidelines put

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Study Reveals Up To One-Third Of Endoscopes Carry Bacteria

December 19, 2019 / Hospital Management, Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety /

A recent study conducted by biotech company OneLife showed that between 10% and 30% of endoscopes in use at Belgian hospitals are contaminated by bacteria. This is the result even though the endoscopes in question were tested after going through the high-level disinfection process. Due to the complex nature of endoscopes, they are high-level disinfected

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FDA Introduces Pilot Programs For EtO Sterilization Initiatives

December 16, 2019 / Hospital Management, Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance /

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced new initiatives to spur innovation in Ethylene Oxide (EtO) sterilization for medical devices. EtO has recently come under pressure as a practice due to the hazardous release of ethylene oxide into the environment from facilities performing the sterilization process. This year, the United States Environmental Protection

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FDA Clears First Duodenoscope With Disposable Elevator Component To Reduce Infection Risk

November 27, 2019 / Hospital Management, Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance /

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the first duodenoscope on the market with a disposable elevator piece. The industry believes that a move to disposable parts, like the elevator, will help reduce infection risks. The elevators of duodenoscopes have been identified in numerous instances as a difficult to clean component that

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FDA Discussion Of Duodenoscopes Points To Several Causes For Safety Issues

November 13, 2019 / Hospital Management, Infection Control, Joint Commission, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance /

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently held a panel discussion to review the causes and possible solutions to safety issues arising from the use of duodenoscopes. Participants in the FDA’s General Hospital and Personal Use Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee discussed how particular aspects of duodenoscopes have led to recent

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How Community Hospitals and ASCs Can Keep Up With Endoscope Documentation Requirements

November 8, 2019 / Hospital Management, Infection Control, Joint Commission, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance /

When community hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are visited by accreditation agencies like The Joint Commission (TJC) or DNV, they are held to the same strict endoscope documentation requirements as academic medical centers. While it may seem unfair for these smaller facilities with access to fewer resources to be held to the same strict

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How To Determine When To Sterilize Flexible Endoscopes

October 28, 2019 / Hospital Management, Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance /

As the major endoscope manufacturers continue to work with regulators such as The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to improve the safety of their endoscopes, many possible long-term solutions have been raised for discussion. Some thought leaders say that improving current high-level disinfection (HLD) processes will improve safety significantly, while many other experts

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ECRI Top Health Technology Hazards List Includes Poor Sterilization Practices

October 10, 2019 / Hospital Management, Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety /

The ECRI Institute, based in Philadelphia, has just released its annual list of health technology hazards for 2020.  This year’s list includes an entry at number 3 for poor sterilization practices, echoing prior year concerns about sub-standard disinfection practices for flexible endoscopes. ECRI’s list is the result of extensive research by its own engineers, scientists

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A Scope Tracking Solution That Can Grow With Your Hospital

October 3, 2019 / Hospital Management, Infection Control, Joint Commission, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance /

The Joint Commission (TJC), the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and several other regulatory and accreditation agencies have recently put more focus on flexible endoscopes in their guidance to US hospitals and surgery centers. It comes as no surprise, as over the last decade the number of reported outbreaks based on inadequately reprocessed

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