duodenoscopes spotlighted the importance of
flexible endoscope care. Staff in the facilities
where the outbreaks occurred followed prop-
er reprocessing protocols, but inherent design
flaws made the duodenoscopes nearly impos-
sible to clean and high-level disinfect.
The FDA has approved the first disposable
duodenoscope in an effort to eliminate cross-
contamination risks, but Mr. Rentschler says
the cost of single-use scopes will likely
exceed the budgets of many facilities that
aren't affiliated with major health networks,
at least until market competition drives down
the price point.
Conventional flexible endoscopes don't
present the same reprocessing difficulties, but
remain challenging devices to disinfect
between uses. Mr. Rentschler points to adeno-
sine triphosphate (ATP) testing and the use of
borescopes as tools that can improve the care
of these hard-to-clean instruments. ATP test
strips detect the presence of biological matter
and bacteria growth in an endoscope's
lumens, and are often used to confirm scopes
have been properly cleaned and disinfected
before being used on another patient.
"It's standard practice for us to check all of
our scopes with ATP testing," says Mr.
Rentschler. "We use it as an adjunct to high-
level disinfection."
7 2 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0
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