Numerous surgeries were cancelled last week at the Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge, Alberta after finding residue on surgical instruments. Until the problem is resolved, equipment is being sent to other Alberta Health Services facilities for reprocessing. 

In the past year the auditor general has identified concerns over the reprocessing of medical devices at healthcare facilities within the province emphasizing the importance of proper reprocessing of equipment for patient safety. Additionally, the auditor general notes that in order to consistently and properly reprocess medical devices a system must be established to oversee and direct the province's facilities.

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In October, ARC attended the CAMDR 2014 Conference where Dr. Michelle Alfa, (Professor at the University of Manitoba and Principal Investigator at the St. Boniface Research Centre) spoke about Medical Device Reprocessing, and specifically how we can 'ban the biofilm'. In her presentation, Dr. Alfa emphasizes the importance of the cleaning stage for preventing the buildup of fixed materials on instruments. In order to improve channel cleaning, she recommends automating and verifying the cleaning cycle as well as dry storage for flexible endoscopes. To find out more about how bacterial transmission through flexible endoscopes can be prevented, read the presentation handout below.

If you're interested in viewing handouts for the other conference presentations, click here to visit the CAMDR website.

A patient of a Chicago area hospital is filing a lawsuit claiming that she, along with 43 other patients, contracted a bacterial infection from an improperly cleaned endoscope. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has confirmed 38 cases of exposure to CRE bacteria from this particular hospital. CRE bacteria is naturally found as part of human gut bacteria however, according to the CDC, this type of bacterial infection can be difficult to treat and can contribute to death in up to 50% of patients who become infected. Cases like these emphasize the importance for robust endoscope reprocessing practices in Hospitals and Clinics as a way to preserve patient safety.

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