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: Healthcare-Acquired Infections

adenosine triphosphate (ATP) Auxiliary Water Channel Biofilms Bronchoscopes Colonoscopes Disease Transmission Disinfection Gastrointestinal Endoscopy GI Endoscopes Healthcare-Acquired Infections Hepatitis (B and C) Viruses High-Level Disinfection HIV Infection Prevention Instrument Reprocessing Los Angeles Times MAJ-855 Water Tube Pseudomonas aeruginosa Semicritical Devices

Response to a Report about GI Endoscopes Remaining Contaminated despite Cleaning

June 25, 2013 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

This posting by Lawrence F Muscarella, PhD, provides his response to a recent report that gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopes may remain contaminated with patient materials after cleaning, posing an increased risk…

Central Sterile Processing Cystoscopes Flexible "ENT" Laryngoscopes Healthcare-Acquired Infections High-Level Disinfection Instrument Reprocessing Intermediate-Level Disinfection Low-Level Disinfection Noncritical Semicritical Devices Sheaths

The Reprocessing of Sheathed “ENT” Endoscopes, Cystoscopes, and Other Types of Flexible Endoscopes

May 17, 2013 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

A number of years ago this blog’s founder – Dr. Lawrence F Muscarella – wrote the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting the Agency review for clarity and consistency, among…

Automated Endoscope Reprocessors Auxiliary Water Channel Best Practices Bronchoscopes Case Study Colonoscopes Disease Transmission Disinfection Gastrointestinal Endoscopy GI Endoscopes Healthcare-Acquired Infections Hepatitis (B and C) Viruses High-Level Disinfection HIV Infection Prevention Instrument Reprocessing Joint Commission (JCAHO) MAJ-855 Water Tube Medical Errors Risk Assessment Risk Management Root Causes Analysis Semicritical Devices

Root Cause Analysis of an Endoscope-Reprocessing Breach

April 30, 2013 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

Initial remarks: This blog, which was written by Lawrence F. Muscarella, Ph.D. and is divided into 2 parts, discusses: a confirmed infection-control breach in a hospital’s Endoscopy Unit; the employment…

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