Flexible gastrointestinal endoscope processing challenges, current issues and future perspectives
Navid Omidbakhsh, Srirang Manohar, R. Vu, K. Nowruzi
Abstract
BACKGROUND: At present, the most frequent method for processing flexible gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopes is cleaning followed by high-level disinfection as terminal sterilization is often not practicable. Post-processing monitoring studies consistently show high levels of positive cultures remaining on endoscopes, which can lead to patient infection and even fatality. The processing deficiency is attributed to the complex design of endoscopes, incomplete cleaning, formation of biofilms and lack of margin of safety with high-level disinfection. OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate that flexible GI endoscopes can be practicably terminally sterilized. METHODS: An endoscope sterilization cycle was developed in a vaporized hydrogen peroxide sterilization system. The cycle was used to study the sterilization of flexible GI endoscopes which included colonoscopes and duodenoscope and material compatibility for both original flexible GI endoscopes and those experimentally modified endoscopes using compatible materials. RESULTS: . Additionally, no recoverable survivors were detected when devices were artificially soiled with hard water and serum. Material compatibility test results demonstrated that replacing molybdenum disulphide lubricant with a graphite-based inert lubricant can make them compatible with vaporized hydrogen peroxide sterilizers. CONCLUSION: Flexible GI endoscopes can be practicably terminally sterilized using vaporized hydrogen peroxide sterilization technologies if their materials are revised to become compatible.