scopes were run through an automated endoscope reprocessor (AER).
They were also disinfected with 5% peracetic acid, which is a stronger
antimicrobial than the 2.5% glutaraldehyde that was being used with the
control scopes. On top of that, the reprocessing technicians conducted
biochemical tests for
adenosine triphosphate
(ATP) on the interven-
tion scopes and
recleaned them when
they exceeded what's
considered the "clean"
benchmark of 200 rela-
tive light units. Then, if
their ATP levels were
still too high, they put
the scopes through 2
additional AER cycles.
During the final
assessment, 10 scopes
from the control group
and 10 from the inter-
vention group were
included. Admittedly,
those numbers are
pretty small, but there
were some very dis-
turbing trends:
• Microbial growth.
For starters, despite
the intense efforts of
1 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M A y 2 0 1 8
