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  • Title: [Surveillance cultures after high-level disinfection of flexible endoscopes in a general hospital].
    Author: Robles C, Turín C, Villar A, Huerta-Mercado J, Samalvides F.
    Journal: Rev Gastroenterol Peru; 2014 Apr; 34(2):115-9. PubMed ID: 25028900.
    Abstract:
    INTRODUCTION: Flexible endoscopes are instruments with a complex structure which are used in invasive gastroenterological procedures, therefore high-level disinfection (HLD) is recommended as an appropriate reprocessing method. However, most hospitals do not perform a quality control to assess the compliance and results of the disinfection process. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of the flexible endoscopes’ decontamination after high-level disinfection by surveillance cultures and to assess the compliance with the reprocessing guidelines. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Descriptive study conducted in January 2013 in the Gastroenterological Unit of a tertiary hospital. 30 endoscopic procedures were randomly selected. Compliance with guidelines was evaluated and surveillance cultures for common bacteria were performed after the disinfection process. RESULTS: On the observational assessment, compliance with the guidelines was as follows: pre-cleaning 9 (30%), cleaning 5 (16.7%), rinse 3 (10%), first drying 30 (100%), disinfection 30 (100%), final rinse 0 (0%) and final drying 30 (100%), demonstrating that only 3 of 7 stages of the disinfection process were optimally performed. In the microbiological evaluation, 2 (6.7%) of the 30 procedures had a positive culture obtained from the surface of the endoscope. Furthermore, 1 (4.2%) of the 24 biopsy forcepsgave a positive culture. The organisms isolated were different Pseudomonas species. CONCLUSION: High-level disinfection procedures were not optimally performed, finding in 6.7% positive cultures of Pseudomonas species.
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