The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said companies that make duodenoscopes should begin making disposable versions, according to an article on The New York Times website.
The agency also said that hospitals should start to transition to models with disposable components to reduce the risk of infection.
FDA tests revealed that one in 20 harbored disease-causing microbes like E. coli even after being properly cleaned.
Medical experts have urged the FDA to force manufacturers to make the scopes safer and easier to decontaminate — or to take them off the market.
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