patient safe-
ty?
"When
[reproces-
sors] are
under the
gun, it's easy
for them to
take a short-
cut and
stray from
the manu-
facturers' instructions for use," she says. "People have to know and
really understand the importance of cleaning scopes."
They have to put in the elbow grease to get the job done, too. After a
round of inspecting and leak testing the scope comes the rigorous,
repetitive process of manual cleaning. Channel brushing and filtered
water flushing scrubs and rinses out the bioburden that the pre-clean-
ing loosened.
How long should a tech brush and flush? For as long as it takes,
says Mr. Lavanchy, depending on your scope model and the skill of
your tech. "It must be done over and over again until there is no visi-
ble debris. The endpoint is, you're convinced you've done a quality
job," he says. "If your inventory is lean, there may be pressure to turn
around scopes as quickly as possible, but then the results would not
be as thorough."
In addition to time, make sure your reprocessors have the necessary
tools. A full complement of personal protective equipment, to shield
them against biohazards and chemical agents. The right sized brushes,
detergents and fresh supplies for each scope to avoid re-contamina-
9 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • A P R I L 2 0 1 6
• EXTRA PRECAUTION Even if you use an automated endoscope reprocessor for high-level disinfection, the FDA
recommends meticulous manual cleaning.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
