An Audit on Infection Control Measures in El-Ibrashi's Center of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy - Internal Medicine Department - Cairo University Hospital, Egypt

Abstract

Background : The beneficial role of gastro-intestinal endoscopy for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of many digestive diseases and cancer is well established. Like many sophisticated medical devices, the endoscope is a complex, reusable instrument that requires reprocessing before being used on subsequent patients. Objective : to audit the adherence of El - Ibrashi’s Center to comply with national infection control guidelines and assessment of efficacy of endoscopes disinfection in it. Methodology: The current study was carried out in El - Ibrashi’s Center. It included first: Auditing on adherence of El - Ibrashi’s Center to infection control measures and practices in relation to infection control standards in endoscopy units and assessment of efficacy of endoscopes disinfection through a survey study. Results : in this study we found that a total of 9.6% of accessory channels samples were contaminated after disinfection. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and coagulase negative staphylococci (CONS) were the most frequently microorganisms isolated from endoscope accessory channel samples The results of water samples used for endoscopic cleaning showed that 33.3% of water samples taken from connected water bottles were contaminated and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most frequent contaminant and inefficient reprocessing mainly due to use of tap water for final rinsing without alcohol rinse or forced air drying and defective storage. Conclusion : This study revealed that the compliances were not good in the unit, the compliance with the quality control measures there was a defect in monitoring the effective concentration of the used disinfectant daily, absence of filters for final rinse water in automatic reprocessors and microbiological surveillance tests were not done routinely at regular intervals as recommended by different guidelines. Finally there were some defects in the design of procedure and reprocessing rooms.