Dive Brief:
- Three months after the superbug outbreaks that were attributed to reusable duodenoscopes, there are still no clear guidelines on how the scopes should be cleaned.
- As of now the scopes, which are difficult to clean, are still on the market and manufacturers haven't been able to come up with a quick solution.
- Late last week, the Food and Drug Administration convened an advisory panel to examine the use and cleaning of the scopes. The makers of the scopes that were involved in the superbug outbreaks declined to participate.
Dive Insight:
The duodenoscopes, which are used for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures, have been linked to the superbug CRE. This is a tricky situation for hospitals because ERCP is used to diagnose and treat potentially life-threatening conditions, yet CRE can kill up to 50% of those who become infected. So while waiting for new guidelines, hospitals need to find a way to address the cleaning problem without disrupting patient care.
Some hospitals are purchasing additional scopes to give them more time for cleaning and testing. Others have reverted to the older cleaning method of gas sterilization. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has added additional employee training to ensure that everyone involved in cleaning the scopes is following the FDA and manufacturers' instructions.
Teresa Wells, director of the VA's national program office of sterile processing, told the LA Times she's hesitant to adopt new cleaning procedures until the science is more definitive. "We are once again telling all of our facilities and employees they must follow manufacturers' guidelines word-for-word and not skip a single step," Wells said. "We are not going outside the box in any way."