writing that it has FDA-approved validation data, it's probably safe to
continue using the AER to reprocess duodenoscopes."
If the manufacturer can't provide such data, Dr. Muscarella says you
should consider manually disinfecting duodenoscopes to reduce the
risk of infection. In addition, the FDA has released 4 supplemental
measures to enhance duodenoscope reprocessing, and urges facilities
to perform one or more of the following options:
• microbiological culturing of duodenoscope channels at the distal end
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D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5 | O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T
You must also protect your reprocessing staff from outside pressures to keep up
with a volume-driven specialty. Have you ever had a physician drop in on the repro-
cessing staff to implore them to pick up the pace? Ms. Raio has. "I've told them 'If
you ever walk into this room again, we'll close the building. Get out!'" she says, in a
tone that makes you thankful you're not one of the pushy docs. "I'm serious. They
do not walk into my room. Ever."
Don't hesitate to tap into the expertise of your endoscope manufacturers, sug-
gests Ms. Raio. She has endoscope reps come to the facility 3 times a year for repro-
cessing in-services. "The staff assures me that they know how to do it," she says. "But
I show them again and again and again."
Ms. Raio goes to as many educational meetings for endoscope reprocessing pro-
fessionals as she can. When new devices or enhancements are launched, her staff is
the first to know. In fact, she took them to that recent meeting where other profes-
sionals were asking questions about reprocessing steps that her staff considers
beyond basic.
"My crew realized how good they are," says Ms. Raio, who understands the carrot
is just as important as the stick. "They need to see that, so they know that I'm con-
stantly pushing them for the right reasons.
"Cleaning scopes isn't hard — I could show you how to do it with my eyes closed.
The challenge is getting staff to follow every single step, every time." — Daniel Cook
