1 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 • J U L Y 2 0 1 7
Ideas Work
P r a c t i c a l p e a r l s f r o m y o u r c o l l e a g u e s
That
H
ow can
you know
for cer-
tain that the endo-
scopes hanging in
the storage cabinet
are still as clean as
they were when
you hung them
there? We devised
a simple method to
ensure that scopes
are ready for
patient use.
After the
high-level dis-
infection cycle is
complete, slide a
plastic sleeve over
the entire length of the scope.
Keep the sleeve open at the
bottom so condensation
does not form in the scope's chan-
nels.
Wrap the top of the sleeve
around the endoscope's
head and secure it in place with a
custom-made label
that notes the date
the scope was
processed and the
storage expiration
date (we permit a
21-day hang time
between uses).
A scope is con-
sidered contami-
nated if the label and sleeve are
not intact when you go to remove
it from the cabinet.
Erika Grace, MS, RN, CNOR, CPHQ
University California,
San Francisco Medical Center
San Francisco, Calif.
erika.grace@ucsf.edu
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• EXTRA LAYER OF PROTECTION If the label and
sleeve on reprocessed endoscopes hanging in the
storage cabinet have been disturbed, the scope is not
suitable for patient use.
If Yellow Label Is Broken, Don't Use That Scope
Erika
Grace,
MS,
RN,
CNOR,
CPHQ
