Posts Tagged 'contaminated duodenoscopes'

Endoscope Reprocessors New Target of FDA Recall

recall ordered for endoscope cleaning devicesStories of illness and the dangers associated with contaminated duodenoscopes and endoscopes swept through the media recently when CRE infections sickened multiple patients in California hospitals and allegedly killed at least two.

Much of the attention and blame for those deaths and illnesses was focused on a process called reprocessing. Reprocessing is the process of cleaning a duodenoscope or endoscope and making it ready for the next patient. Given that ...

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FDA Orders Duodenoscope Makers to Surveil Devices in Hospitals

fda orders new standards on duodenoscopesThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently ordered all three duodenoscope manufacturers marketing in the United States to conduct postmarket surveillance studies to assess how their devices are reprocessed (or cleaned) in “real-world settings.”

Duodenoscopes, a type of reusable medical device used in endoscopic procedures, have received a great deal of attention recently after being linked to several deaths and hundreds of infections at two ...

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FDA Warns of Infections from Reprocessed Flexible Bronchoscopes

infection risks elevated on reprocessed bronchoscopesThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a safety communication about infections associated with the use of reprocessed flexible bronchoscopes. The notice comes as part of the agency’s ongoing investigation into infections caused by reprocessed reusable medical devices, such as duodenoscopes.

A flexible bronchoscope is a long, thin fiber-optic tube that is inserted into a patient’s throat through the mouth or nose. It allows ...

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Scope Infections Suspected as the Cause of Superbug Outbreak Near L.A.

duodenoscope bacteria eyed as cause of new outbreakA few months after duodenoscope-induced superbug infections at UCLA and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center made national headlines, a new report of a suspected bacteria outbreak is grabbing media attention. Patients at Huntington Medical Hospital are believed to have acquired pseudomonas bacterial infections after undergoing procedures using duodenoscopes manufactured and distributed by Olympus Corp. A recent story by the Los Angeles Times discusses the ongoing investigation ...

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FDA Releases More Measures for Duodenoscope Safety

fda issues measures for duodenoscope safetyThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a safety communication detailing additional measures for medical staff to follow when cleaning duodenoscopes. The agency encourages hospitals to follow supplemental guidelines, as well as adhere strictly to the manufacturer’s disinfection instructions.

Duodenoscopes are a type of medical device used in endoscopic surgery to help diagnose and treat gallstones, cancer, and other complications in the bile and pancreatic ...

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Federal Panel Declares Poorly Designed Duodenoscopes Unsafe

duodenoscopes ruled unsafe as designedA federal panel has concluded that the duodenoscopes involved in two Los Angeles “superbug” outbreaks are unsafe as designed. According to a Los Angeles Times article, the government is urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to do more to ensure patient safety.

The outbreaks occurred earlier this year after patients at two Los Angeles hospitals underwent procedures involving contaminated duodenoscopes. At the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical ...

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