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: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Flash Sterilization Healthcare Quality, Safety Healthcare-Acquired Infections Immediate-Use Steam Sterilization Infection Prevention Sterilization Toxic Anterior Segment Syndrome

Flash or Immediate Use Steam Sterilization: A Position Statement

August 22, 2014 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

This article presents the position of Lawrence F Muscarella, PhD, on the use of “immediate-use steam sterilization” (IUSS), historically known as “flash sterilization,” to process surgical instruments in or near…

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Automated Endoscope Reprocessors Best Practices Biofilms Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Disease Transmission Disinfection E. coli Endoscope Reprocessing Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) Environmental Contamination Escherichia coli Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) Ethylene Oxide Gas Sterilization FUJIFILM Gastrointestinal Endoscopy GI Endoscopes Handwashing Sinks Healthcare-Acquired Infections High-Level Disinfection Infection Prevention Intermediate-Level Disinfection Klebsiella pneumoniae Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase]-producing K. pneumoniae Olympus Outbreak Investigations Pentax Peracetic Acid Pseudomonas aeruginosa Risk Management Serratia marcescens Transmission-Based Precautions

Multiple Outbreaks of a ‘Nightmarish Bacteria’ Linked to Contaminated Endoscopes in the U.S and Europe: Has a ‘Smoking Gun’ Been Found?

January 29, 2014 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

A popular Sunday morning television news show aired a segment on January 15, 2014, that provided helpful advice about a concerning outbreak of “nightmare bacteria” that had been linked just…

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria carbapenem Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Carbapenems Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Custom Ultrasonics Disease Transmission Endoscope Reprocessing Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) Escherichia coli Ethylene Oxide Gas Sterilization Food and Drug Administration Gastrointestinal Endoscopy GI Endoscopes Healthcare-Acquired Infections Hepatitis (B and C) Viruses High-Level Disinfection HIV Infection Prevention Klebsiella pneumoniae Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase]-producing K. pneumoniae Low-Temperature Sterilization Medical Errors Outbreak Investigations Patient Notification Pentax Risk Assessment Risk Management Veterans Health Administration

Lessons Taught by a Recent “Superbug” Outbreak: Could ‘Ex Post Facto’ Notification be Warranted?

January 21, 2014 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

April 21, 2014 — Advocate Lutheran General Hospital (Park Ridge, IL) in 2013 linked multiple patient infections and colonizations of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or “CRE,” to contaminated gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopes. This…

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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