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: Low-Temperature Sterilization

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…

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…

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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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