Managing Endoscopes

ECRI List of 2017 Patient Safety Concerns Includes Inadequate Safety and Quality Systems

August 30, 2017 / Hospital Management, Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance /

ECRI Institute’s annual list of patient safety concerns has been released.  One concern missing from the list that has been a staple for several years is the infection risk associated with inadequate cleaning of flexible endoscopes. With the number of incidences being reported by hospitals and the associated changes to scopes being issued by the […]

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List of Top 10 Patient Safety Issues For 2017 Includes Scope Reprocessing

August 30, 2017 / Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety /

The editorial team at the Becker’s Infection Control & Clinical Quality website unveiled its top 10 patient safety issues for 2017.  Their list was based on study findings and trends over the last year. Sterilization and reprocessing issues represented one of the issues on the list. It’s no surprise to anyone in the industry that

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The Joint Commission Survey From a Hospital COO’s Perspective

October 9, 2017 / Hospital Management, Infection Control, Joint Commission, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance /

Recently, I had a chance to sit down with a couple of Chief Operating Officers (COOs) from hospital clients who use the iRIScope system from Mobile Aspects. The system was developed to help hospitals improve patient safety and documentation around flexible endoscope usage. According to the COOs, this has become a hot topic due to

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How the FDA May Have Enabled the Recent Epidemic of Endoscope Related Infections

August 30, 2017 / Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance /

The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and its 510(k) Clearance program may have played a role in preventing potentially dangerous endoscopes from being adequately tested before being released to the market. Because endoscopes are highly regulated medical devices, the FDA’s approval processes should be able to catch any critical health risks posed by their use. However,

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Pentax Warns on Infection Risks From Some of its Endoscopes

August 30, 2017 / Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety /

PENTAX Medical recently issued a field correction to customers on a potential risk for contamination on one of its duodenoscope models. PENTAX duodenoscope model ED-3490TK has been declared a risk for patient infection due to an issue with the silicone adhesive used on the distal tip during manufacturing. In some cases, cracks may form in

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New Research Shows Current Scope Cleaning Processes Not Rigorous Enough

August 30, 2017 / Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance /

A seven-month study recently published by the American Journal of Infection Control found that 60% of gastroscopes and colonoscopes examined tested positive for certain bacterial growth. These bacteria were detected even after being disinfected using the current manufacturer guidelines or additional measures. The scopes examined as part of the study were all manufactured by Olympus

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Potential Outbreaks Related To Gastroscopes Revealed

August 30, 2017 / Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety /

A potential superbug linked to contaminated gastroscopes at UPMC in Pittsburgh, PA was discussed in a recent article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (01/03/17). The author, Dr. Lawrence Muscarella, wrote that the infected gastroscopes may have infected up to 6 patients with carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP), a deadly superbug. This article by Gordon Gibb of LawyersandSettlements.com

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Some Fuji Duodenoscopes Pulled From Market

August 30, 2017 / Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety /

FujiFilm Medical Systems, USA Endoscopy Division (“FMSU-ESD”) declared this week that it is removing some of its older model duodenoscopes from the market. According to FujiFilm, the ED-250XL5, ED-250XT5, ED-450XL5, and ED-450XT5 model duodenoscopes are the models that are being recalled. Per a press release from FujiFilm, which can be found here: “These devices are

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Endoscope Market Showing No Signs of Slowing Down

August 30, 2017 / Managing Endoscopes /

Technavio, a technology research and advisory company, has released a five-year forecast for the global gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy devices market. Their research shows an expected cumulative average growth rate of nearly 6% from 2016-2020. This large and growing market is expected to reach a total size of $5 billion by 2020. The global move towards

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