Instrument design and cross-infection

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 30, 2026

Animal Model of Implant-Associated Infections in Mice
07:02

Animal Model of Implant-Associated Infections in Mice

Published on: June 27, 2025

L F Muscarella1

  • 1Custom Ultrasonics, Inc, Ivyland, Pa, USA.

AORN Journal
|June 20, 1998
PubMed

Insights

Patient-to-patient disease transmission during endoscopic procedures is a risk. This review covers instrument reprocessing and offers infection control recommendations to enhance patient safety.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Medical Device Reprocessing
  • Endoscopic Procedures

Background:

  • Recent reports highlight patient-to-patient disease transmission during endoscopic procedures.
  • Inadequate reprocessing of endoscopic instruments poses a significant infection risk.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review documented cases of disease transmission via endoscopy.
  • To discuss critical issues in the reprocessing of endoscopic instruments.
  • To provide evidence-based infection control recommendations.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent transmission events.
  • Analysis of instrument reprocessing challenges.
  • Synthesis of current infection control guidelines.

Main Results:

  • Documented instances of pathogen transmission underscore the need for vigilance.
  • Key reprocessing deficiencies identified include cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization failures.
  • Effective infection control protocols are crucial for preventing iatrogenic infections.

Conclusions:

  • Strict adherence to reprocessing guidelines is essential to prevent endoscopic procedure-associated infections.
  • Implementing comprehensive infection control strategies minimizes the risk of patient-to-patient pathogen transmission.
  • Continuous evaluation and improvement of reprocessing practices are vital for patient safety.

Related Concept Videos

Standard Precaution01:26

Standard Precaution

Standard precautions are the minimum infection control safeguards used while caring for all patients, irrespective of their disease condition. They help prevent the spread of common infectious microorganisms to healthcare workers, patients, and visitors in all healthcare settings.
Hand hygiene is the most crucial means to prevent the transmission of disease. Employers are legally required to provide their workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimize exposure or contact with...
Instrumentation Amplifier01:25

Instrumentation Amplifier

An electrocardiography (ECG) machine is an essential piece of medical equipment used to monitor the electrical activity of the heart. It operates by detecting small electrical changes on the skin that result from the depolarization of the heart muscle during each heartbeat. However, these signals are in the microvolt range and can be easily overwhelmed by noise or interference.
To overcome this challenge, an ECG machine utilizes an instrumentation amplifier. This specialized amplifier is...
Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection01:26

Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection

The hosts' susceptibility to infection depends on several factors. The integrity of the skin and mucous membranes helps protect the body against microbial attacks. When the skin is altered, the chance of infection, limb loss, and even death increases.
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin create...
Healthcare Associated Infections I: Iatrogenic, Exogenic and Endogenic01:26

Healthcare Associated Infections I: Iatrogenic, Exogenic and Endogenic

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) occur in a healthcare facility while a person receives care for another ailment. This category also includes work-related infections among healthcare staff.
HAIs significantly increase the cost of health care. Extended stays in healthcare institutions, increased disability, increased costs of medications, including specialized antibiotics, and prolonged recovery times add to the patient's expenses and the healthcare institution and funding bodies. Common...
Design Example: Vintage Mixing Console01:17

Design Example: Vintage Mixing Console

A sound engineer at a music company recently encountered a problem. The output from their newly acquired studio's vintage mixing console was too low for the requirements of modern recording equipment. To rectify this situation, the engineer decided to design an audio pre-amplifier using an operational amplifier (op-amp) to boost the signal level.
The specifications for the pre-amplifier were clear. It needed to amplify the audio signal by a factor of 10, have an input impedance above 10...
Bacterial Signaling01:50

Bacterial Signaling

Bacterial signaling can occur within bacteria (intracellular) or between bacteria (intercellular). At times, a group of bacteria behaves like a community. To achieve this, they engage in quorum sensing, the perception of higher cell density that causes changes in gene expression. Quorum sensing involves both extracellular and intracellular signaling. The signaling cascade starts with a molecule called an autoinducer (AI). Individual bacteria produce AIs that move out of the bacterial cell...