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: Intermediate-Level Disinfection

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…

Bedside Cleaning Device Classifications Device Contamination Disease Transmission Disinfection Endoscope Reprocessing Escherichia coli Flexible "ENT" Laryngoscopes Hepatitis (B and C) Viruses High-Level Disinfection Infection Prevention Instrument Drying Intermediate-Level Disinfection Pseudomonas aeruginosa Rigid Laryngoscopes Semicritical Devices Serratia spp. Sheaths Sterilization

California Health Alert: Failure to Disinfect Reusable Semicritical Instrumentation Poses an Increased Risk of Infection

September 16, 2013 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

September 16, 2013 — In 2007 the Health and Human Services Agency Department of Health Services for the state of California advised facility administrators and infection prevention and control professionals,…

Best Practices Biological Indicators Biopsy Forceps Central Sterile Processing Critical Device Classifications Endoscope Reprocessing Flexible "ENT" Laryngoscopes Hepatitis (B and C) Viruses High-Level Disinfection HIV Infection Prevention Instrument Reprocessing Intermediate-Level Disinfection Low-Level Disinfection Low-Temperature Sterilization Noncritical ortho-phthalaldehyde Prions Rigid Arthroscopes Semicritical Devices

Disinfection or Sterilization of a Contaminated Reusable Instrument?

September 4, 2013 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

Selection of the “right” sterilization or disinfection process, or technology, for reprocessing a specific type of reusable instrument may not always be straightforward. This is often because the instrument is…

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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

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