Performing Endoscopy Preventative Maintenance

What is an endoscope? In short, it’s flexible tubing with an attached camera that a doctor uses to view the insides of a patient’s body without having to make an incision or perform a surgery. The internal organs are viewed on a screen in the operating room. The doctor can also use tongs or scissors with the endoscope to remove tissue for biopsy, which is a far less invasive method than a surgery would be. There are a large variety of procedures that can be used in connection with endoscopy, including but not limited to laparoscopy (to examine your pelvis or abdomen), upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (to examine both your esophagus and upper intestinal tract) and arthroscopy (to examine your joints). Because of the nature of the procedure, and although there are risks associated with it (as with any other procedure), most patients go home the same day.

Endoscopies are a growing procedure globally, and the equipment can be expensive for clinics or hospitals to replace. That’s why, as with so many other pieces of frequently used equipment, preventative maintenance is a must to keep costs and accidental transference of bacteria down. Infection control is serious business, and only the highest level of caution will result in patient safety.

Infections caused by improperly cleaned endoscopes are a scary issue in the medical community and most of all, for potential patients. When not cleaned immediately or properly, bacteria can form a bio-film that won’t easily wipe away when cleaning does happen. Due to the nature of their use, there are a variety of contaminants within the flexible tubing which can be difficult to clean properly, and because of their composition, some can’t be safety heat sterilized. This equipment is of complex design, so attention to detail and following procedures is crucial. The best and most efficient way to clean these tricky pieces of equipment is both immediately after use using a pre-cleaning protocol and then a full clean and disinfection or sterilization. Removable pieces (like the suction valves) should be taken off and submerged in solution, scrubbed well, and rinsed and dried. After cleaning with a disinfectant solution, the endoscope should be rinsed well and dried prior to storage or further use. Endoscopes should also be leak tested before use, and disposed of in the event of a tear or breakage.

In storage, it’s best for the endoscope to be hung vertically in a dust free cabinet. Letting the equipment dry completely in a cabinet before the next use has actually been found to decrease risk of contamination.

Our ready to use concentrated or pre-mixed pre-cleaning kits are a great way to save time and money in the routine cleaning of your endoscopic equipment. The kits are easy to use and easily portable.

How to protect your endoscope

Let’s start this guide to protecting your endoscope with some important definitions. First of all, what is an endoscope? If you’re not familiar, an endoscope is a long tube with lights and a camera attached which your doctor will use to view the inside of a patient’s digestive tract. This can mean any part of the digestive system, from the mouth to the anus. The camera on the endoscope connects to a screen in the surgical room so your doctor can get a good look at what’s going on inside and take steps to leading a patient back to health. At times this requires taking a small biopsy for further tests.

An endoscopic surgery involves the use of an endoscope to diagnose or treat a condition by feeding the endoscope through either a natural body cavity or creating a small incision. This is considered far less invasive than many other surgical methods, and generally means the patient can go home the same day for a far faster recovery.

There are several different surgeries or procedures during which an endoscope comes in handy; for example, a colonoscopy, in which a doctor examines the lining of the large intestine, and possibly the small intestine. Another common procedure is the upper endoscopy, which allows a doctor to examine the esophagus, stomach and first part of the small intestine. Most of the procedures are done with the patient under mild sedation and utmost care is taken to preserve a patient’s comfort during the process.

During these procedures, it’s easy to see how the endoscope requires a thorough cleaning and disinfectant following use. Sterilizing equipment helps to ensure that bacteria won’t be transferred from patient to patient or from the environment to the patient. An improperly cleaned endoscope can suffer from build up or even blockage of its fine and intricate tubing, meaning that the expensive equipment must be replaced. The drying process is also important, and tubes must be completely dry before being stored. As even a clean endoscope can pick up bacteria from its surroundings, it’s equally important that it be stored properly after cleaning and drying.

An EndoSock scope sleeve can be a great way to provide a physical barrier between your scopes and the surrounding environment, it also will wick away any moisture left on the scope after reprocessing. This breathable paper based scope sleeve comes in 2 sizes for use with both large and small endoscopes. It easily slides over the endoscope tube, wiping away any residual moisture and preventing the resulting bacteria growth. The EndoSock protects from potential physical contact and from contact with surfaces and the environment. It conveniently provides a surface for labels in which detailed cleaning instructions or important reference notes can be placed, avoiding the need for placing labels direction onto the scope itself, and allowing for easy transfer onto a patients file or chart. The EndoSock scope sleeve does not need to be tape to the boot, and will easily slide on and off when required.