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Related Experiment Videos

Gastroscope processing in washer-disinfectors at three different temperatures.

B Zühlsdorf1, A Winkler, B Dietze

  • 1Freie Universität Berlin, Universitätsklinikum Benjamin Franklin, Technische Hygiene, Hindenburgdamm 27, 12203 Berlin, Germany.

The Journal of Hospital Infection
|November 25, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Processing gastroscopes at higher temperatures significantly reduces bacterial contamination. Increasing endoscope washer-disinfector temperature from 43°C to 56°C ensures patient safety and adequate reprocessing.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infection Control
  • Medical Device Reprocessing

Background:

  • Endoscopes require thorough reprocessing to prevent patient-to-patient transmission of infections.
  • Current chemo-thermal reprocessing in Germany uses approximately 56°C.
  • Variations in reprocessing temperatures may impact the efficacy of bacterial load reduction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the microbiological effectiveness of endoscope washer-disinfectors at different processing temperatures.
  • To determine the optimal temperature for reprocessing gastroscopes to minimize residual contamination.
  • To assess the impact of temperature on bacterial reduction and endoscope material integrity.

Main Methods:

  • Hygienic and microbiological testing of 87 gastroscopes.

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  • Processing at washer-disinfector temperatures of 43°C, 51°C, and 56°C.
  • Microbiological analysis of suction/biopsy channels using culture media and membrane filtration.

    • Main Results:

    • Bacterial counts exceeded German guideline levels at all tested temperatures.
    • A significant reduction in aerobic bacteria, Gram-negative bacilli, and pseudomonads was observed when increasing temperature from 43°C to 51°C.
    • Further significant reductions in aerobic bacteria and pseudomonads were noted with a temperature increase from 51°C to 56°C.

    Conclusions:

    • Lowering reprocessing temperatures risks patient safety due to inadequate bacterial load reduction.
    • Endoscope washer-disinfectors must meet current draft standards for effective reprocessing.
    • Maintaining higher processing temperatures is crucial for ensuring hygienic endoscope processing and patient safety.