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: Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (“NTM”)

Aseptic Technique Central Sterile Processing Environmental Contamination Mycobacterium abscessus Nontuberculous Mycobacteria ("NTM") Operating Rooms Surgical Instruments Tap Water Water Filtration

Recommendations to Prevent Atypical Mycobacterial Infections Following Surgical Procedures

July 29, 2014 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

July 30, 2014 — This is the second in a series of three articles that discuss an outbreak of an unusual type of atypical mycobacterium following surgical procedures performed in…

Aseptic Technique Cardiopulmonary Perfusion Machine Central Sterile Processing Environmental Contamination Greenville Memorial Hospital Handwashing Sinks Heater-Cooler Devices Ice Dispensers Medical Device Reports (MDRs) Mycobacterium abscessus Nontuberculous Mycobacteria ("NTM") Surgical Instruments Tap Water Water Filtration

4th Patient Dies, 15 Infected at Greenville Memorial Hospital Likely Due to Contaminated Tap Water

July 23, 2014 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

June 27, 2014 — In late May, 2014, officials of the Greenville Health System in South Carolina identified a number of patients infected with an “unusual” type of organism. The…

Auxiliary Water Channel Best Practices Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Colonoscopes Colonoscopy Disease Transmission Disposable Irrigation Tubing Endoscope Reprocessing Endoscope Sampling Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) Gastrointestinal Endoscopy GI Endoscopes Healthcare Quality, Safety Healthcare-Acquired Infections Hepatitis (B and C) Viruses Infection Prevention Joint Commission (JCAHO) Klebsiella pneumoniae Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase]-producing K. pneumoniae MAJ-855 Water Tube Medical Errors Mycobacterium abscessus Product Labeling Pseudomonas aeruginosa Quality Assurance Risk Management Serratia spp. Superbugs Surveys Tap Water The Reuse of Single-Use Devices

Tap Water Used for Irrigation during GI Endoscopy: A Recommendation and Assessment of the Infection Risk

May 20, 2014 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

February 18, 2014 — This article discusses the potential for healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) associated with the use of tap water, compared to sterile water, for irrigation (and/or cleansing the endoscope’s…

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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