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Disposable, sheathed, flexible sigmoidoscopy: a prospective, multicenter, randomized trial. The Disposable Endoscope
1Department of Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756, USA.
Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
|June 1, 1995
Summary
A novel disposable sheathed flexible sigmoidoscope offers improved patient safety and reduced downtime. While physicians preferred standard scopes, reprocessing staff favored the disposable system for infection control.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Medical Devices
- Infection Control
Background:
- Standard flexible sigmoidoscopes pose contamination risks due to complex channels.
- Developing infection-free endoscopic procedures is crucial for patient safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a new disposable sheathed flexible sigmoidoscope system.
- To compare its performance, safety, and efficiency against standard sigmoidoscopes.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, randomized, controlled trial involving 143 procedures across 15 facilities.
- Endoscopists and reprocessing personnel provided evaluations using visual analog scales.
- Procedure time, insertion depth, and instrument downtime were recorded.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in insertion depth (50 cm vs. 48 cm).
- Slightly longer procedure time for the sheathed system (6.7 min vs. 5.6 min).
- Significantly reduced instrument downtime for the sheathed system (8.1 min vs. 32.8 min).
Conclusions:
- The disposable sheathed sigmoidoscope significantly decreases instrument downtime.
- It offers potential benefits for staff and patient safety by minimizing contamination.
- Future iterations should address physician-reported concerns for wider adoption.