(Press-News.org) Washington, DC, August 5, 2015 -- Potentially harmful bacteria can survive on endoscopes used to examine the interior of the digestive tract, despite a multi-step cleaning and disinfecting process, according to a study published in the August issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).
Though endoscopes were cleaned in accordance with multi-society guidelines, viable microbes and residual contamination remained on surfaces after each stage of cleaning, according to study findings.
Researchers from Ofstead & Associates in Saint Paul, Minnesota and Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota tested samples collected from 60 encounters with 15 colonoscopes and gastroscopes used for gastrointestinal procedures after each reprocessing step to assess contamination levels. Investigators observed all reprocessing activities, using a checklist to ensure that cleaning protocols were performed in accordance with published guidelines.
Reprocessing consisted of: bedside cleaning, manual cleaning in dedicated reprocessing rooms, and automated endoscope reprocessing with a high-level disinfectant. Disinfected endoscopes were stored vertically after drying with isopropyl alcohol and forced air. When contamination levels exceeded pre-determined benchmarks for each cleaning step, technicians went beyond guidelines and repeated cleaning procedures, retesting after each attempt to reduce contamination.
Researchers performed microbial cultures and various rapid tests to detect viable organisms and organic residue that remained after each step of cleaning. Viable organisms were detected on 92 percent of devices after bedside cleaning; 46 percent after manual cleaning; 64 percent after high-level disinfection, and 9 percent after overnight storage. Rapid indicator tests detected contamination above benchmarks on 100 percent of devices after bedside cleaning; 92 percent after manual cleaning; 73 percent after high-level disinfection, and 82 percent after overnight storage.
"This study demonstrates that colonoscopes and gastroscopes can harbor residual organic material, including viable microbes, even when adherence with recommended reprocessing guidelines is verified," said the study authors. "More research is needed to identify processes that can ensure all flexible endoscopes are free of residual contamination and viable microbes prior to patient use, including the potential use of routine monitoring with rapid indicators and microbiologic cultures. Results from this study suggest that current standards and practices may not be sufficient for detecting and removing residual contamination."
The authors list several potential limitations of the study including that it is a single-site study and may not be generalizable nationwide. In addition, reprocessing technicians were aware of the researchers' use of a checklist to ensure guideline compliance and therefore may have devoted more time and effort to reprocessing. Another caveat is that technicians were immediately informed about contamination that exceeded benchmarks and repeated cleaning steps--actions that are not generally part of standard practice.
Colonoscopes and gastroscopes are endoscopic devices with thin tubes, channels, and ports that are used to examine the interior of the colon and the stomach. Recent reports of multidrug-resistant infections related to contaminated duodenoscopes, which have intricate elevator mechanisms and channels that are especially difficult to clean, have raised awareness about the necessity for meticulous reprocessing of all types of endoscopes to prevent the transmission of pathogens to patients.
INFORMATION:
Dan's Wild Wild Science Journal
New paper shows global climate model errors are significantly less than thought
Scientists have matched the output of climate models to the way the Earth's temperature record is constructed in a new study in Geophysical Research Letters. Dan Satterfield explores how climate models are doing an even better job at predicting the Earth's temperature than was thought.
Eos.org
On the rebound: Modeling Earth's ever-changing shape
A new modeling tool easily computes the elastic response of changes in loading on Earth's surface to high resolution. ...
While undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy induced weight loss and improvements in obesity-related disorders, long-term followup shows significant weight regain and a decrease in remission rates of diabetes and, to a lesser extent, other obesity-related disorders over time, according to a study published online by JAMA Surgery.
Obesity was recognized as a global epidemic by the World Health Organization 15 years ago and rates of obesity have since been increasing. Obesity is currently considered a severe health hazard and a risk factor for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ...
In a small study, women who had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery reached certain blood alcohol concentrations in half the number of drinks compared to women who didn't have the surgery, and reported a greater feeling of drunkenness, according to a study published online by JAMA Surgery.
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is the most common bariatric surgical procedure performed in the world. Although RYGB surgery causes a marked reduction in food intake and induces remission of food addiction, it is associated with an increased risk of developing alcohol use disorders. It ...
Telephone-based cognitive behavioral therapy was better at reducing worry, generalized anxiety disorder symptoms and depressive symptoms in older adults who live in rural areas, where access to mental health treatment may be limited, according to an article published online by JAMA Psychiatry.
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is one of the most common anxiety disorders in older adults and is associated with poor quality of life, increased health care utilization and impaired memory. Medications and psychotherapy are the primary treatments. Many older adults prefer psychotherapy ...
To lose weight, boost energy or soothe nerves, many consumers turn to dietary supplements. But some of these products contain undeclared substances. To protect consumers from taking something without their knowledge, scientists have developed a technique to determine what secret ingredients could be lurking in these supplements. They report their approach, which helped them find the active Viagra ingredient and other synthetic designer compounds in various products, in ACS' Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry.
Dietary supplements can appear to be a healthful option ...
Athens, Ga. - Lax state vaccination laws contribute to lower immunization rates and increased outbreaks of preventable diseases--like whooping cough and measles--according to a new study from the University of Georgia.
Through their research, released in the August issue of the journal Health Affairs, study authors David Bradford and Anne Mandich found higher rates of pertussis, or whooping cough, in states that allowed philosophical exemptions and used a standardized exemption form.
Vaccination exemption rates have increased drastically in the past 10 years, according ...
Ottawa, ON (5 August 2015) - Canadian Science Publishing and the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology are pleased to announce the release of a special edition of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences in recognition of the Museum's thirtieth anniversary on September 25, 2015.
The insatiable curiosity of the Royal Tyrrell Museum scientists has driven its research program for the past thirty years, and has positioned the Museum as a leader in furthering our understanding of the evolution of life on Earth. The Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, an NRC Research Press journal ...
In households with kids -- or grown-up klutzes -- a durable set of melamine plates and bowls is a must. But studies suggest that heat and acid can cause melamine from dinnerware to seep into food and potentially cause harmful health effects. Now scientists show that substituting stainless steel containers for melamine ones when serving hot food could reduce the amount of the substance in people's bodies. Their report appears in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology.
In 2008, the health effects of acute melamine exposure became widely known when a scandal erupted ...
From "dragon's blood" to slippery elm root, coded and obscure ingredients of ancient recipes are getting a second look today not by Harry Potter fans, but by historians who want to experience science as it was practiced centuries ago. An article in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, explores some of the intriguing discoveries these recent efforts have yielded and the unexpected questions they raise.
Sarah Everts, a senior editor at C&EN, notes that most science historians had long derided alchemy as pseudo-science, ...
NEW YORK, NY, August 5, 2015 - A diet high in refined carbohydrates may lead to an increased risk for new-onset depression in postmenopausal women, according to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The study by James Gangwisch, PhD and colleagues in the department of psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) looked at the dietary glycemic index, glycemic load, types of carbohydrates consumed, and depression in data from more than 70,000 postmenopausal women who participated in the National Institutes of Health's Women's Health ...
