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.

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Aseptic Technique Best Practices Colonoscopes Colonoscopy Disease Transmission Endoscope Reprocessing Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) Fungal infections Gastrointestinal Endoscopy GI Endoscopes Healthcare Quality, Safety Healthcare-Acquired Infections Hepatitis (B and C) Viruses HIV Infection Prevention Legionella Legionnaires' Disease Multi-Dose Medicine Vials Outbreak Investigations Patient Notification Published Infection Rates Quality Assurance Single-Dose Medicine Vials Sterility Syringes or Needles Transparency Veterans Health Administration

Recent Cases of Infection during GI Endoscopy and Other Surgical Procedures: A Focus on Patient Notification

September 30, 2014 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

September 30, 2014 — This article discusses a number of recent instances of transmission of the hepatitis C virus and other infectious agents during gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy and other surgical…

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,…

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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

Gastroscopes Have Been Linked to A Cluster of Resistant E. coli Infections — Is the Risk Sufficiently Recognized?

January 6, 2023 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD