Abstract
Published surveys suggest that the risk of infection following fibreoptic endoscopy is minimal. However, we report three patients who became infected and one patient who was colonized following emergency endoscopy for gastro-intestinal bleeding with a strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, found to be resident in our upper gastrointestinal endoscopes. Bacteriological investigation showed that the cleaning procedure used failed to remove the organism from endoscopes. Thorough irrigation of instruments and accessories with 2% buffered glutaraldehyde before each session and simple cleaning with this agent during and after use, together with appropriate conditions for storage, reduced bacterial contamination of the instruments and eliminated oral colonisation of patients undergoing endoscopy. We conclude that bacterial contamination of upper gastro-intestinal endoscopes can be of clinical significance and meticulous attention to disinfection is essential for safe endoscopic practice.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
