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: Semicritical Devices

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 Best Practices Bronchoscopes Colonoscopes Cystoscopes Disease Transmission Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) Food and Drug Administration Gastrointestinal Endoscopy GI Endoscopes Glutaraldehyde High-Level Disinfection Infection Prevention ortho-phthalaldehyde Peracetic Acid Product Labeling Semicritical Devices TEE (Transesophageal Echocardiography) Probes

Recommendations for the Safe and Effective Use of Ortho-phthalaldehyde

May 6, 2013 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

Note: Dr. Muscarella is accepting new clients seeking guidance in infection prevention, hospital infections, instrument reprocessing, and other related topics. Synopsis: This is the third of three articles by Lawrence…

Automated Endoscope Reprocessors Best Practices Bronchoscopes Colonoscopes Cystoscopes Disease Transmission Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) Food and Drug Administration Gastrointestinal Endoscopy GI Endoscopes Glutaraldehyde High-Level Disinfection Infection Prevention ortho-phthalaldehyde Peracetic Acid Product Labeling Semicritical Devices TEE (Transesophageal Echocardiography) Probes

ortho-phthalaldehyde: A Tale of Three Labels

May 6, 2013 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

Note: Dr. Muscarella is accepting new clients seeking guidance in infection prevention, hospital infections, instrument reprocessing, and other related topics. May 6, 2013 (By Lawrence F Muscarella, PhD; revised 12-23-2014)…

You missed

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
Colonoscopy Endoscope Reprocessing Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) Hepatitis (B and C) Viruses HIV Patient Notification Vanderbilt Medical Center

Endoscopy Patients at Vanderbilt Potentially Exposed to HIV and Hepatitis, County Officials Have Confirmed

November 26, 2024 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD
Bronchoscopes Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Endoscope Reprocessing Gastroscopes Infection Prevention Rebuttals TPT Medicare Payment Status

Dr. Muscarella’s Recent Recommendations to Medicare to Prevent Hospital-Acquired Infections

September 16, 2024 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD