many of the GI
clinics I've visit-
ed. When I've
asked repro-
cessing techs
how many
times they
brush a scope's
channels during
manual clean-
ing, some tell
me they run the
brush through
just once. Why
do we allow
that inexcus-
able shortcut? Assuming cleaning practices are eh, good enough is
never good enough when it comes to endoscope reprocessing.
Are aging technicians who need glasses to read endoscope cleaning
directions really able to notice every little speck on a brush's bristles?
Relying on the visual inspection of a channel brush to confirm the
cleanliness of a scope increases the potential for human error. That's
why your reprocessing area should be outfitted with adequate lighting
and magnifying glasses staff can use to confirm brushes are in fact as
clean as they appear at first glance. It should also have a clear flow
from dirty to clean and adequate workspace for techs to clean scopes
properly.
Better yet, you can spot-check the cleanliness of the endoscopes
before high-level disinfection takes place. Here are 3 ways to do so:
• Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) testing detects bacteria levels in the
1 1 4 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • A P R I L 2 0 1 7
• BASIC TRAINING Proper manual cleaning is arguably the most important step of endoscope reprocessing.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
