A P R I L 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 1 0 3
C
leaning
dirty endo-
scopes is a
high priori-
ty, but the
equally critical process of
getting dirty scopes safely
to the cleaning area —
and keeping them clean
on the way back to stor-
age or the next procedure
— is an area where most
facilities can improve. The
fact is, if you don't lock
down the process of handling and transporting dirty scopes from the
moment of withdrawal to the decontamination area, and then han-
dling and transporting processed scopes to storage or directly to the
next patient, you're introducing all kinds of opportunities for some-
thing in the chain to go wrong, and increasing the possibility of infec-
tion.
Incidences of infection from dirty scopes are distressingly prevalent,
so much so that the FDA has made it a priority area. According to a
recent report, the problem could be even worse at ASCs and outpa-
tient facilities — which often don't have dedicated infection control
units — than it is in hospitals. A September 2018 study by Johns
Hopkins researchers published in the British Society of
Joe Paone | Senior Associate Editor
On the Road with Dirty Scopes
How you get scopes to and from the cleaning
room is just as important as what happens there.
• CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SCOPE Safely handling and transporting both
dirty and clean scopes is a critical infection control function that sometimes
doesn't get enough attention at surgical centers.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR