Endoscope Reprocessing and Infection Control - An endoscope
consists of a flexible tube, which is passed into the digestive
tract to provide a video image, and control knobs, which allow
the endoscopist to maneuver the tip of the flexible tube in a
precise manner. Within the tube are the electronics necessary to
obtain the video image, cables that allow control of the
flexible tip, and channels that permit the passage of devices to
sample tissue, stop bleeding, or remove polyps. The endoscope is
a complex but durable instrument and is safe for use in
thousands of procedures. - In all areas of medicine and surgery,
complex medical devices are generally not discarded after use in
one patient but rather are reused in subsequent patients. This
practice is very safe, provided that the devices are properly
prepared, or reprocessed, prior to each procedure, so as to
eliminate any risk that an infection could be transmitted from
one patient to another. - Prior to the performance of a
procedure, an endoscope must be c