Infection control experts have said in a recent study that current techniques used to clean endoscopes for reuse are not consistently effective, according to an article on the Nursing Times website.
The study, published in the American Journal of Infection Control, was carried out by medical research company Ofstead and Associates, and the University of Minnesota Medical School.
Experts recommended careful visual inspection and cleaning verification tests to ensure that endoscopes are free of damage and debris before they are used on another patient.
The study's finding also suggested something was happening to gastroscopes during procedures that changed the surfaces and causes reprocessing failures.
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