Bronchoscopes still dirty after cleaning, study says

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A new study has found that currently acceptable methods of reprocessing reusable bronchoscopes left most devices contaminated and damaged.

“The results are worrisome as patients undergoing bronchoscopy are commonly at high risk for infection due to transplant status, critical illness, or immune-suppression due to malignancy or chronic disease,” said the study, funded by 3M and supported by sterilization product maker Healthmark Industries. It was presented last week at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control’s annual conference APIC 2018, will be published in an upcoming issue of Chest Journal.

Reusable bronchoscopes are commonly used in interventional pulmonology procedures. They and other reusable endoscopes, including duodenoscopes and colonoscopes, and have been cited in superbug outbreaks in the U.S. and Europe.

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