Bacteriological efficiency of a standardized cleansing and disinfection technique for duodenoscopes

Adequate cleansing and disinfection of the endoscopes is desirable to prevent bacteriaemia and septicemia following gastrointestinal endoscopy, especially endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and duodenoscopic sphincterotomy. A practical method, proved in our department over a period of 12 months, is described. As the result of this standardized cleansing and disinfection technique using the aldehyde derivative Gigasept (succine dialdehyde and 2,5-dimethoxytetrahydrofuran) in a 10% concentration as chemical disinfectant, sterile cultures from the biopsy channel were obtained in 75% of tested instruments. The remaining fiberscopes exhibited only a few bacteria left, resulting in a sufficient success of disinfection according to hygienic standards.