clear and consistent. You might choose to do it in writing, using labels
on the scope or container, or you might prefer to do a warm handoff
with an oral report. Just come up with a process that's standardized,
effective, and reliable — and works best for your center.
5. Transport of cleaned scopes.
OK, now you have completed
processing your endoscope. The journey back to storage or the next
procedure can be equally perilous, so you must tread carefully here as
well to prevent recontamination of the scope.
If you can sterilize the scope, it really simplifies the transport of the
item, says Dr. Kyle, because it will be packaged with a sterile barrier
system that protects it from contamination. For all critical applica-
tions like surgeries where the endoscope enters normally sterile tis-
sue, the scope absolutely needs to be sterilized, not just HLDed.
HLD is OK for semi-critical procedures like screening colonoscopy,
where the scope is only coming into contact with intact skin and mucus
membranes and not entering normally sterile tissue. No matter if the
scope is going to be used immediately or stored, it needs to be com-
pletely dried in the processing area using instrument air — filtered air
that's monitored and regulated.
If you use HLD, and the scope is going to be used immediately, you
must place the scope in a clean container by a person who's performed
hand hygiene and is wearing gloves to be transported to the point of use.
If you're not going to use the scope immediately, store the clean scope in
an endoscope storage cabinet that is a drying cabinet. That's the best way
to protect endoscopes while in storage from contamination. Such a cabi-
net will "allow each scope to hang freely without touching other scopes,
and it connects to filtered air that's forced through the scope's channels
continuously," says Dr. Kyle.
There's no real consensus on how long HLDed scopes can be safely
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