Residuals on medical devices following reprocessing

Abstract

Micro-organisms may be transmitted by medical devices. A large variety of infectious agents may be involved in infections transmitted by endoscopic procedures. We review a series of examples that demonstrate to what extent micro-organisms can be detected on medical devices and how transmission on to subsequently examined persons due to inadequate reprocessing can occur. Hardly any data are available regarding residuals of process chemicals, although numerous published cases of glutaraldehyde-related colitis demonstrate that this issue requires urgent clarification. A risk of endoscope contamination exists, interalia, if washer-disinfectors are technically defective or are incorrectly operated. In particular, a final rinse water of poor microbiological quality can lead to recontamination of endoscopes.