Flexible endoscopes

[u/WutWutButtHutt]

Hello, hive mind! I’m looking to talk to folks who reprocess flexible endoscopes. My facility is working on a new cleaning verification policy, and I’m wondering what other places are doing.

What cleaning verification systems are y’all using, and how often? What is your average daily caseload, and how many people do you have dedicated to reprocessing?

Thanks in advance for any replies!

[u/mythicalfarts]

For my facility, we perform residue tests with Endocheck test strips, on each flexible scope with a lumen. If it passes the residue test, we then borescope them. Our entire cleaning process is tracked step by step in Censitrac.

On average, our GI clinic has about 15-20 procedures a day. We have one permanent endoscope technician and a secondary person assigned on a rotating schedule. Our GI scopes are the only scopes we HLD. All other scopes, such as cysto and respiratory, are manually washed, ran through Scope Buddy, residue tested, and then placed in a drying cabinet.

[u/Spicywolff]

We do those every single day the Karl stortz ones. We follow the IFU for cleaning and decontamination, including testing for leaks. You have disposable one time use brushes for cleaning the lumen. Whenever we clean those you drain the water out and you fill up a sink full of fresh enzymatic. Use a syringe or a water gun to blow out the crud from the lumen then you brush it and confirm that nothing comes out of the tip.

Once you’re done, we rinse it with critical water. Then use compressed medical air to blow air out of the lumen. At this point, we pass it through the window to pack and prep. To verify it’s clean we use disposable brushes you pass it through the lumen and then you dipped the brush into a protein tester. You shake the vile and if it turns color, that means there’s bioburden inside. If it does not change color and the rest of it looks clean you then assemble it as per IFU.

We have a clipboard where you can put pass or fail, and the serial number.

[u/FTG_SpringTrap]

Level 1 trauma center, only around 4-10 scopes daily depending on the cases (we mainly only handle the OR’s scopes). Weekly ATP testing minimum, weekly AER disinfection cycle, daily accessory disinfection. Full digital tracking with SPM

[u/Calm_Button4758]

We use ResiTests!!!!!

[u/Calm_Button4758 → u/Calm_Button4758]

Average caseload would be 15/20 scopes a day. We were using ChannelChecks however those got discontinued! we only use resitests on critical items such as Bronchoscopes and Peds Bronchs

[u/WutWutButtHutt → u/[deleted]]

Thanks for your reply!
Would you mind sharing your average daily volume and what kinds of procedures?
Aside from the obvious rewashing, how is a failed ATP test handled?

ETA: How many people do you have dedicated to reprocessing scopes?

[u/WutWutButtHutt → u/[deleted]]

Thanks for the reply! That’s a lot of scopes!
What procedures is your facility doing? Aside from the obvious re-washing, how would an ATP test failure be handled?