Another outbreak of the “superbug” attributed to non-sterile duodenoscopes has been reported, this time infecting at least five patients. The outbreaks are the result of a slimy layer of biofilm that can build up inside a scope and shelter bacteria from being removed during the cleaning process; also known as reprocessing.
This most recent outbreak comes despite a product redesign by Olympus, one of the largest manufacturers of the devices ...
continue reading...It’s getting harder and harder to know just how much harm has been done in the U.S. and abroad by contaminated duodenoscopes. As more issues come to light about scope design and its impact on device cleaning and sterilization, the number of patients known to have suffered superbug infections from the devices continues to rise.
Now, thanks to a new report commissioned by a congressional investigation, ...
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The bacterial infections attributed to non-sterile duodenoscopes that sickened and killed patients in hospitals in California and Washington last year may have represented just a small fraction of the total number of cases.
A report issued by the United States Senate accuses device manufacturers of failing to report infections within the required 30-day guideline. Such a failure would lead to artificially low numbers.
Washington Senator Patty Murray ...
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The 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 ...
continue reading...Duodenoscope manufacturer Olympus Corp. warned European hospitals of device contamination nearly two years before the recent outbreaks at two Los Angeles medical centers, according to the LA times. But according to the article, Olympus made no effort to notify U.S. health care facilities or officials of the contamination risks. The new evidence intensified concerns about how much Olympus knew about the ...
“I’m [making] $13 an hour, and I’ve got the surgeon who built the hospital screaming at me. What am I going to do?”
When most people think about the staff that keeps them off death’s door during a visit to the hospital or doctor’s office, they think of doctors, nurses, and other well-compensated medical professionals. We take solace in knowing that our doctors went to school for years and have incomes well into six- or seven-figures. Their high incomes are, in ...
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