Published online Jan 16, 2018. doi: 10.4253/wjge.v10.i1.51
Peer-review started: July 18, 2017
First decision: September 7, 2017
Revised: October 22, 2017
Accepted: November 10, 2017
Article in press: November 10, 2017
Published online: January 16, 2018
Due to the nature of endoscopy, all endoscopes must undergo high level disinfection after use. Previously, guidelines suggested that endoscopes be reprocessed prior to use, regardless of the hang time. These guidelines led to excessive wear on the instruments, and were quite costly for institutions. A previous study conducted at our institution suggested that endoscopes could be stored for up to 7 d prior to requiring reprocessing. The aim of this study was to determine if there was a correlation between the hang time and bacterial load on endoscopes.
There have recently been several documented cases of transmission of antibiotic resistant organisms, specifically carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae via endoscopy. This has led to increased interest in the bacterial contamination on endoscopes after thorough disinfection.
The study demonstrates that endoscopes can be stored for a period of up to 7 d without significant levels of bacterial contamination, there does not appear to be a correlation between hang time and bacterial load. There does not appear to be a need for reprocessing of endoscopes prior to use if disinfected and stored properly. This is contrary to previous society guidelines which suggested disinfection prior to use.
Endoscopes if disinfected and stored properly can be stored for up to 7 d without requiring reprocessing prior to use.
Hang time refers to the number of days an endoscope was stored, from disinfection to microbiological evaluation.