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E N D O S C O P Y
DRY TIME Your techs should wipe
ment: Eyes, mucous
endoscopes down before hanging them
membranes and the
vertically in secured storage cabinets.
mouth must be protected at all times.
Donning PPE is fundamental practice, but
I've seen reprocessing
personnel go without
masks or eye protection.
Equip your reprocessing team with fluid-resistant gowns strong
enough to protect against strike-throughs and exposure to cleaning solutions. Glove cuffs should extend well past the wrist to protect against
fluid invasion. Nitrile gloves withstand cleaning chemicals better than
natural latex or vinyl rubber gloves. Don't wait until annual competency
reviews to evaluate all staff involved in reprocessing. Conduct regular ad
hoc surveys of the reprocessing area to ensure recommended techniques are being followed. The more you watch, the more you can be
sure your endoscopes are being cared for properly. OSM
Mr. Collins (collinj@ccf.org) is practice manager for the department of gastroenterology and hepatology at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio.
D E C E M B E R 2013 | O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
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