Associate Editor Fauze Maluf-Filho, MD, PhD, FASGE, highlights this Original Article from the September issue: “Surveillance of guideline practices for duodenoscope and linear echoendoscope reprocessing in a large healthcare system” by Jack Brandabur,MD, James E. Leggett, MD, Lian Wang, et al.

This study demonstrates that even after adequate reprocessing of duodenoscopes and curvilinear EUS scopes, pathogenic bacteria can be recovered from the equipment.

This article underlines the need for periodic evaluation of possible bacterial contamination of duodenoscopes and linear EUS scopes. Duodenoscope and linear EUS scopes should be submitted to periodic evaluation for detection of bacterial contamination. Even after adequate reprocessing of duodenoscopes and curvilinear EUS scopes, pathogenic bacteria can be recovered from the equipment.

Figure 1. Facility variation in culturing results. Overall culture positivity for specimen-based (A) and encounter-based (C) results. High-concern culture positivity for specimen-based (B) and encounter-based (D) results. Each circle represents 1 endoscope, with the area proportional to the number of cultures collected. The black bars are the average rate for each facility.

Find the article abstract here.

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