FDA: Duodenoscope reprocessing is dirtier than we thought

The FDA said today that new data show that the contamination rate for “high-concern organisms” in duodenoscopes is nearly twice as high as previously thought and warned the devices three major manufacturers to get their required post-market studies in gear.

Back in 2015 the federal safety watchdog warned Olympus (TYO:7733), Fujifilm Holdings (TSE:4901) and Hoya’s (TYO:7741) Pentax subsidiary following a string of deadly “superbug” infections attributed to their duodenoscopes. The FDA ordered the companies to run post-market surveillance studies to assess the effectiveness of reprocessing the scopes; last year it sent the trio another set of warning letters over their failure to comply with that order.

Today Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, director of the FDA’s Center for Devices & Radiological Health, warned of possible “additional action” if the companies don’t meet their deadlines.

“While the firms have made some progress toward completing these studies, they are still not in compliance with the timetable they agreed upon to complete these studies. If the companies continue to fail to adequately respond to our concerns, the FDA will take additional action,” Shuren said in prepared remarks.

Although the number of adverse event reports for the devices fell 62%, from 250 in 2015 to fewer than 100 in 2017, a spate of 205 reports from last October to the end of March included 45 patient infections, one patient exposure and 159 contaminated devices; there were three U.S. deaths reported last year from duodenoscope infections, according to the FDA.

And as of last December the FDA thought that the contamination rate for high-concern bugs like E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was 3%. New data show that number to be more like 5.4%, the agency said.

“Let me be clear, the percent of contaminated samples based on these interim results shows that improvements are necessary and we are committed to taking additional steps to reduce infections and contamination even further,” Shuren said, noting that the FDA is considering whether more stringent action is necessary to get infection rates under 1%.

“For example, we are exploring whether supplemental measures, such as sterilization, in addition to meticulous cleaning, might offer a more effective option. This will take careful consideration because we know some sterilization methods could damage the duodenoscope over time and lead to a shorter lifespan for the expensive device,” he said.

The FDA is also consulting the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and other health agencies “to obtain their input and guidance on the issue of infection control and reprocessing of these difficult-to-clean scopes,” Shuren said.

from MassDevice http://bit.ly/2DbrJs2