The Food and Drug Administration has raised the number of infections linked to improperly cleaned scopes from 142 to about 350, according to an article on the Becker's Hospital Review website.
According to Kaiser Health News, the FDA released new numbers in response to an inquiry from U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu from California and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
These infections occurred from Jan. 1, 2010, to Oct. 31, 2015, in 30 facilities in the U.S. and 11 facilities abroad.
Since discovering the link between these scopes and the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, hospitals have changed their reprocessing protocols and a major duodenoscope manufacturer issued a voluntary recall of one type of such scopes for modifications.
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