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: Ethylene Oxide Gas Sterilization

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Automated Endoscope Reprocessors Bacterial Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Carbapenems Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Custom Ultrasonics Delayed Reprocessing Disease Transmission Disinfection Endoscope Reprocessing Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) Escherichia coli Ethylene Oxide Gas Sterilization Food and Drug Administration GI Endoscopes High-Level Disinfection Infection Prevention Instrument Reprocessing Klebsiella pneumoniae Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase]-producing K. pneumoniae Outbreak Investigations Pentax Quality Assurance Quality System Regulation Risk Management Root Causes Analysis Transmission-Based Precautions

GI Endoscopy: Pushed Beyond its Reprocessing Limits?

January 14, 2014 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

This article is divided into two sections, for the reader’s convenience: “Part 1: ‘The Outbreak'” and “Part 2: ‘Commentary: An superbug outbreak waiting to happen?'” (‘Part 2’ can be read…

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Automated Endoscope Reprocessors Biofilms Bronchoscopes Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Colonoscopes Design Control Endoscope Design Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) Escherichia coli Ethylene Oxide Gas Sterilization High-Level Disinfection Klebsiella pneumoniae Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase]-producing K. pneumoniae Low-Temperature Sterilization O-ring Contamination Quality System Regulation Shelf Life, Storage Transparency

Investigation and Prevention of ‘Superbug’ Outbreaks Following Endoscopy

January 9, 2014 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

May 11, 2013 — Gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopes and other types of flexible endoscopes may become contaminated with infectious materials during their routine clinical use. The rigorous, prompt and thorough reprocessing…

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,…

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