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: Risk Management

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…

Ambulatory Surgery Centers Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Automated Endoscope Reprocessors Bedside Cleaning Best Practices Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Cystoscopes Flexible "ENT" Laryngoscopes Glutaraldehyde Hepatitis (B and C) Viruses HIV Instrument Reprocessing Joint Commission (JCAHO) Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase]-producing K. pneumoniae ortho-phthalaldehyde Patient Notification Pseudomonas aeruginosa Risk Management Serratia spp. Sheaths Transparency

Risk of Disease Transmission during Cystoscopy: Discussion of a Specific Error in Maine

December 6, 2013 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

December 5, 2013 —A hospital in Maine (USA) confirmed today a medical error — namely, that it had been improper cleaning cystoscopes after their use during certain urological procedures. This…

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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

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January 6, 2023 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD