Adverse staff health outcomes associated with endoscope reprocessing

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Healthcare safety
• Endoscope reprocessing

Background:

• Occupational challenges exist in cleaning, disinfecting, storing, and transporting flexible endoscopes.
• Current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards lack specificity for endoscope reprocessing and are not fully implemented.
• Adverse staff outcomes may not be entirely preventable with existing protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the evidence for adverse outcomes in healthcare staff associated with endoscope reprocessing.
• To identify specific health risks faced by personnel involved in endoscope reprocessing.

Main Methods:

• A literature review was conducted using the PubMed database.
• Articles published between January 1, 2007, and March 7, 2012, were included.
• Eight studies, primarily European, were identified.

Main Results:

• Numerous adverse outcomes were reported for healthcare personnel involved in endoscope reprocessing.
• Reported issues include respiratory ailments and physical discomfort.
• The majority of identified studies were European.

Conclusions:

• More scientifically rigorous studies are required to comprehensively describe adverse health outcomes in reprocessing personnel, especially in the United States.
• Further research should examine the impact of increased automation on staff safety during endoscope reprocessing.
• Current evidence suggests a need for improved and specific safety measures in endoscope reprocessing.