D
uodenoscopes are remark-
ably intricate engineering
marvels. But we've always known that. What we're
just now realizing is how difficult they are to clean
properly. For this, yes, we have a bacterial outbreak to
thank, a series of high-profile cases of superbug infections at U.S. hos-
pitals that are linked to contaminated duodenoscopes that were
apparently cleaned according to manufacturers' instructions.
Cleaning duodenoscopes is a blind process. You can't see inside the
scopes, so you must wait until the rinse water that you flush through
the long internal channels comes out clean. Cleaning is done by hand,
with nothing but brushes, detergent solution and elbow grease. You
can't autoclave duodenoscopes because their lenses and electronics
make them sensitive to high temperatures.
J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 9 3
Recent superbug outbreaks have hammered
home the importance of proper manual cleaning.
No More Dirty Duodenoscopes
• ROOM TO MOVE
The insertion tubes of
duodenoscopes are long.
Make sure technicians
have good surfaces and
enough room to work.
Chris Lavanchy
Plymouth Meeting, Pa.
