In this Article, we would like to have a look on how to maintain, clean, sterilize and store an Endoscopic apparatus. The most healthcare professionals make mistake in some steps which leads to defect, damages and lower durability of these sensitive devices.
Who is responsible to clean and maintain endoscopic equipment?
It is expected that a facility that offers endoscopic services will provide the necessary endoscopes and accessory equipment for the type of procedures to be performed in that unit. The facility (or department within the facility) is responsible for the cleaning, maintenance and repair of all the equipment.
How do you clean an endoscope after use?
Clean the external surface of the endoscope with detergent using soft cloths, sponges, or brushes. Flush and brush all accessible channels to remove debris and other contaminants. Hard-to-clean areas or accessories should be cleaned with an ultrasonic cleaner.
How do you disinfect an endoscope?
Endoscopic instruments do not tolerate autoclaving. A new method of sterilizing by moist heat has been used in the laboratory and shown to be an improvement. It involves immersing the contaminated instrument in a waterbath at 85° C. for one hour.
Which chemical is used to sterilize endoscope?
Ethylene Oxide Ethylene oxide gas has been the standard for sterilizing heat-sensitive items, including endoscopes.
How do you clean a cystoscope?
Cleaning should be done by using a recommended enzymatic detergent, which assists the cleaning process by breaking down the bioburden. Since cystoscopes and accessories are exposed to blood (protein) and irrigation solutions, the enzymatic cleaner should be able to digest proteins and sugars.
How is a gastro scope cleaned?
Adequate disinfection and decontamination of GI endoscopes involves manual cleaning and automatic high-level disinfection (HLD) followed by 75% ethanol rinsing and then hanging for endoscope drying before storage.
How to protect the camera head from damage when it falls down?
The distal tip is the most fragile part of an endoscope and accounts for nearly 45% of all endoscope damage. According to a recent webinar by Olympus, approximately 85% of endoscope repairs are avoidable.
Endoscope damages can be costly and inconvenient for hospital departments, a broken endoscope increases cancelled procedures and delay patient treatment. The distal end of an endoscope houses the protective cover, charge-coupled device, camera, light guide lenses, and nozzle for air and water. Damages to any of these important components can prove very serious because patient debris can get stuck into a breach of the material.
Normally when using an Endoscopy system, during sterilization and transportation there is a high risk of damage to the sensitive part of the scope, which is camera. Even during the usage of the Scope, and doing procedures, high risk of falling down and damage to the scope exists. An article in the November issue of the Clinical Services Journal, shows that in two London hospitals the use of the ProTech distal tip protector resulted in a 53.8% decrease in overall repairs over a 9-month period. In order to prevent any potential risk of damage and store the scope in a stable non-risk point, the user have to gather his/her mind which seems impossible at that time! So, what is the solution for such a problem? A safe and flexible guard which also allows the scope to stay perfectly in a table, without slipping down, please follow the link to the Scope ProTech™ and discover the advantages!