The 2019 U.S. Food and Drug Administration report indicates that the clinical studies
undertaken by the 3 main GI endoscope manufacturers demonstrate 5.4% of patient-ready
duodenoscopes remain culture positive for high-concern organisms. The root causes
of this persistent contamination are poorly understood. The objectives of this review
include summarizing (1) the impact of inadequate manual cleaning and inadequate drying
during storage on the formation of build-up biofilm in endoscope channels, (2) the
impact of defoaming agents used during patient procedures on drying efficacy, (3)
the data showing the importance of build-up biofilm on persistent microbial survival,
and (4) the potential impact of implementation of a quality systems approach in GI
endoscopy reprocessing.
Abbreviations:
AER (automated endoscope reprocessor), BBF (build-up biofilm), CDC-HICPAC (Centers for Disease Control-Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee), CFU (colony-forming unit), CRE (carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae), FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air), HLD (high-level disinfection), MDRO (multi-drug resistant organism), MIFU (manufacturer's instructions for use), PAA (peracetic acid), QS (quality system), SEM (scanning electron microscopy), TB (traditional biofilm), VBNC (viable but nonculturable)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 12, 2019
Accepted:
August 31,
2019
Received:
June 20,
2019
Footnotes
DISCLOSURE: Dr Alfa has been involved as a consultant and in research projects for Olympus, KARL STORZ, 3M, Novaflux, and STERIS; has received royalties from HealthMark Industries; has participated as an invited conference speaker for Olympus, 3M, and Sealed Air, and as a speaker for a webinar for Ambu. Dr Singh has served on advisory boards for Pendopharm, Ferring Canada, Merck Canada, Takeda, Guardant Health; has received an educational grant from Ferring Canada; and a research grant from Merck Canada.
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© 2020 by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
