Discussions in Infection Control

An independent site by Lawrence F Muscarella PhD -- a national authority on the causes and prevention of healthcare-associated infections and related errors.

Category: Aseptic Technique

Adulterated Devices Ambulatory Surgery Centers Aseptic Technique Association of periOperative Registered Nurses Automated Endoscope Reprocessors Biological Indicators Central Sterile Processing Chemical Indicators Design Control Device Recalls Endoscope Reprocessing Flash Sterilization Flash Sterilization Food and Drug Administration Immediate-Use Steam Sterilization Infection Prevention Instrument Drying Instrument Reprocessing Liquid Chemical Sterilization Low-Temperature Sterilization Misbranded Devices Monitoring Rinse Water Operating Rooms Product Labeling Steam Sterilization STERIS STERIS System 1 STERIS System 1E Water Filtration

The STERIS System 1E Liquid Chemical Sterilant Processing System: Looking Back and Forward

November 7, 2014 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

July 1, 2015 — Almost four years ago, on April 5, 2010, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared the STERIS System 1E Liquid Chemical Sterilant Processing System, or “SS1E,”…

Aseptic Technique Best Practices Colonoscopes Colonoscopy Disease Transmission Endoscope Reprocessing Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) Fungal infections Gastrointestinal Endoscopy GI Endoscopes Healthcare Quality, Safety Healthcare-Acquired Infections Hepatitis (B and C) Viruses HIV Infection Prevention Legionella Legionnaires' Disease Multi-Dose Medicine Vials Outbreak Investigations Patient Notification Published Infection Rates Quality Assurance Single-Dose Medicine Vials Sterility Syringes or Needles Transparency Veterans Health Administration

Recent Cases of Infection during GI Endoscopy and Other Surgical Procedures: A Focus on Patient Notification

September 30, 2014 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

September 30, 2014 — This article discusses a number of recent instances of transmission of the hepatitis C virus and other infectious agents during gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy and other surgical…

Aseptic Technique Central Sterile Processing Environmental Contamination Mycobacterium abscessus Nontuberculous Mycobacteria ("NTM") Operating Rooms Surgical Instruments Tap Water Water Filtration

Recommendations to Prevent Atypical Mycobacterial Infections Following Surgical Procedures

July 29, 2014 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

July 30, 2014 — This is the second in a series of three articles that discuss an outbreak of an unusual type of atypical mycobacterium following surgical procedures performed in…

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November 26, 2025 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD
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Dr. Muscarella’s Review of the New Multisociety Guidance for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities

November 11, 2025 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Endoscope-Associated Infections Healthcare Quality, Safety Healthcare-Acquired Infections Medicare's HAC Reduction Program

A Proposal to Include ‘Endoscope-Associated Infections’ as a Reportable Medicare Measure to Promote Patient Safety

July 28, 2025 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD
Adverse Event Reports Food and Drug Administration Food Drug and Cosmetic Act Informed Consent Medical Device Reports (MDRs) Misbranded Devices Patient Notification Warning letters (FDA)

Hundreds of Thousands of Device Reports Were Submitted Late to FDA, a New Study Has Found, Raising Safety Questions

May 13, 2025 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD