Discussions in Infection Control

An independent site by Lawrence F Muscarella PhD -- a national authority on the causes and prevention of healthcare-associated infections and related errors.

Category: Biofilms

Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biofilms Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Carbapenems Endoscope Reprocessing Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) Ethylene Oxide Gas Sterilization Food and Drug Administration GI Endoscopes Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase]-producing K. pneumoniae Low-Temperature Sterilization Monitoring Rinse Water Pentax Transparency

Overlooked Outbreaks of “CRE” Linked to GI Endoscopy: A “Superbug” Epidemic in Our Midst?

December 30, 2013 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

December 20, 2013 (updated December 23, 2015) — A Chicago newspaper reported on December 27, 2013, that a hospital in Park Ridge (IL) had identified an outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae,…

adenosine triphosphate (ATP) Auxiliary Water Channel Biofilms Bronchoscopes Colonoscopes Disease Transmission Disinfection Gastrointestinal Endoscopy GI Endoscopes Healthcare-Acquired Infections Hepatitis (B and C) Viruses High-Level Disinfection HIV Infection Prevention Instrument Reprocessing Los Angeles Times MAJ-855 Water Tube Pseudomonas aeruginosa Semicritical Devices

Response to a Report about GI Endoscopes Remaining Contaminated despite Cleaning

June 25, 2013 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

This posting by Lawrence F Muscarella, PhD, provides his response to a recent report that gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopes may remain contaminated with patient materials after cleaning, posing an increased risk…

Automated Endoscope Reprocessors Bedside Cleaning Biofilms Delayed Reprocessing Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) High-Level Disinfection Pseudomonas aeruginosa Shelf Life, Storage

Best Practices for Reprocessing Gastrointestinal Endoscopes: Two Questions and Answers

May 11, 2013 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

April 5, 2013 — Below, I respond to two questions about the reprocessing of gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopes: “It is an acceptable practice for a GI endoscopy unit to pre-clean the…

You missed

Adverse Event Reports Case Reviews Colonoscopes Colonoscopy Endoscope Reprocessing Risk Assessment Salmonella

17 U.S. Patients Were Exposed in December to a Colonoscope Contaminated with Salmonella Bacteria, FDA Reports Reveal

January 24, 2024 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD
Adverse Event Reports Ambu Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) COVID-19 Endoscope Reprocessing Rebuttals Single-Use TPT Medicare Payment Status

In Support of Patient Safety, Healthcare Access, and Medicare Payment for a Single-Use Bronchoscope Model

January 8, 2024 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD
Adulterated Devices Adverse Event Reports Device Recalls Duodenoscopes with Disposable Components Endoscope Reprocessing Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) FUJIFILM ED-580XT MAJ-2315 Misbranded Devices Olympus TJF-Q190V Single-Use Endcap with Elevator Warning letters (FDA)

Guidance to Prevent Adverse Events, Including Mucosal Tissue Injuries, When Using Duodenoscopes with a Single-Use Endcap

August 2, 2023 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD
Adverse Event Reports Candida auris Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Duodenoscopes Endoscope Reprocessing Escherichia coli Gastroscopes MAUDE Medical Device Reports (MDRs) Risk Assessment Single-Use Disposable Devices

Gastroscopes Have Been Linked to A Cluster of Resistant E. coli Infections — Is the Risk Sufficiently Recognized?

January 6, 2023 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD