Be sure to look out in this month’s GIE for the multisociety guideline on reprocessing flexible GI endoscopes and accessories. This guideline, endorsed by eleven societies, contains expanded details related to the critical reprocessing steps of cleaning and drying and incorporates recent evidence as it pertains to improving the reprocessing of GI endoscopes.
The reprocessing of endoscopes and minimizing endoscopy-related infections require a team-based, multidisciplinary approach and comprises several interrelated and critical elements. Ongoing compliance with accepted reprocessing standards is required and increased efforts, research, and resources should be directed toward improving compliance with established reprocessing guidelines. Read the updated guidance.