facility and your budget will guide your choice, but either is prefer-
able to washing and drying instruments in a single open space.
Some AERs include barcode-scanning technology that provides the
ability to trace the entire life cycle of the scope. It logs which patient
the scope was used on, when it was used, when it enters each phase
of the high-level decontamination process, which staff member
cleaned and disinfected the scope, when it's placed into a storage cab-
inet and when it gets used on the next patient. We suggest investing in
one of these reprocessors, at about $60,000 each, for every 2 proce-
dure rooms.
Standard endoscope storage cabinets cost $4,000 or $5,000, but we
always advocate that new suites be outfitted with cabinets that have
automated air circulating technology, even though they're twice the
cost. When you wash
and decontaminate
scopes, even though
the water is filtered
and you're using a
highly disinfecting
scope washer, it's
possible to turn the
scopes around before
they're dry. When that
happens, there's a
risk that chemical
and water residue
will remain in the
internal lumens to
increase cross-conta-
mination risks.
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