The ISI endoscope care guide includes endoscope care goals, inspection frequency, improper practices, patient health, and life of a scope, routine inspection suggestions

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Flexible & rigid endoscope care guide

Page contents

> Endoscope care goals
> Scope inspection frequency
> Improper practices endanger patient health
> Routine inspection is the core of good scope care
> Factors affecting the life of a scope and its need for service

Endoscope care goals

Two goals of endoscope care are patient safety and maintaining proper endoscope function. Endoscope care means proper cleaning and disinfection/sterilization, plus routine inspection of the instrument.

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Routine endoscope inspection
is the core of good scope care

Inspection is an important aspect in routine care and handling of endoscopes. Inspections include visual examinations and leak testing after every procedure. Equipment found to be defective or damaged should be immediately removed from patient service and repaired by a qualified ISI technician.

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Improper practices endanger patient health

Endoscopes are classified as semi-critical items and should be cleaned and decontaminated immediately after each patient use. Several outbreaks of nosocomial infection have been linked to endoscopes use. A number of professional organizations found that every occurrence of endoscopic-related nosocomial infection was associated one or more of the following:

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Failure to follow accepted cleaning and disinfection guidelines

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Use of an inappropriate liquid chemical germicide

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Improper drying

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Defective equipment

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Careful inspection of the scope should take place at these stages of the endoscope use cycle:

= Before use
= During the procedure
= After the procedure
= Immediately after decontamination
= Before disinfection and sterilization

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Factors affecting the life of a scope and
its need for service

=	The number of procedures related to the number of scopes is one important measure that helps to determine the normal wear and tear a scope is subjected to.
=	The number of different people handling a scope affects the life of an endoscope. The higher the number of different staff members handling an endoscope equates to more frequent repairs. Endoscopy units with a dedicated reprocessing staff have fewer repairs than those units where the staff at large is responsible for reprocessing.
=	A well-trained and experienced staff with knowledge about scope structure and function usually translates into fewer endoscope repairs.
=	Inappropriate or inadequate reprocessing and/or storage can lead to endoscope damage. Top

ISO Certificates: ISO 13485:2003 ISO 9001:2000

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ISI Medical & O.R. Products provides specialty surgical tables, surgical accessories for hand and upper extremities and a complete line of instrument cleaning brushes and care solutions. ISI Medical & O.R. Products is a division of Instrument Specialists, Inc.

An ISI technicians performing a leak test