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: Case Study

Best Practices Case Study Disease Transmission Healthcare-Acquired Infections Hepatitis (B and C) Viruses HIV Infection Prevention IV Infusions Multi-Dose Medicine Vials Outbreak Investigations Sterility The Reuse of Single-Use Devices

Answers Sought in Hepatitis Infection at a Hospital in New Hampshire

August 19, 2013 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

Report: “Answers Sought in Hepatitis Infection” This newspaper article discusses a recent outbreak of the hepatitis C virus due to the alleged theft of intravenous (IV) drugs. The following is…

Automated Endoscope Reprocessors Auxiliary Water Channel Best Practices Bronchoscopes Case Study Colonoscopes Disease Transmission Disinfection Gastrointestinal Endoscopy GI Endoscopes Healthcare-Acquired Infections Hepatitis (B and C) Viruses High-Level Disinfection HIV Infection Prevention Instrument Reprocessing Joint Commission (JCAHO) MAJ-855 Water Tube Medical Errors Risk Assessment Risk Management Root Causes Analysis Semicritical Devices

Root Cause Analysis of an Endoscope-Reprocessing Breach

April 30, 2013 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

Initial remarks: This blog, which was written by Lawrence F. Muscarella, Ph.D. and is divided into 2 parts, discusses: a confirmed infection-control breach in a hospital’s Endoscopy Unit; the employment…

Bronchoscopes Bronchoscopy Case Study Disease Transmission Endoscope Sampling Healthcare-Acquired Infections Infection Prevention Nontuberculous Mycobacteria ("NTM") Pseudo Infections Semicritical Devices

Distinction Between a “True” and “Pseudo” Bacterial Outbreak

March 19, 2013 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

Initial remarks: This blog by Lawrence F Muscarella, PhD, uses a question-and-answer format to reveal the difference between a true and pseudo-outbreak caused by one or more bacterium. ♦ A…

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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