title: Methodology of reprocessing reusable accessories.
abstract: Accessory devices used for gastrointestinal endoscopy are often complex and because they enter sterile body cavities, or contact blood because of invasive procedures, they should be sterile before being used for a patient procedure. The complexity of such reusable accessory devices is reviewed, and the critical aspects of cleaning, sterilization, and quality assurance are discussed. The effectiveness of adequate reprocessing between patient use is critical to prevent transmission of infectious diseases from one patient to another.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Canada. malfa@cc.umanitoba.ca
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Alfa
mesh_terms: D020776:Endoscopes, Gastrointestinal / Q000382:microbiology; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017743:Equipment Reuse; D004869:Equipment Safety; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013242:Sterilization / Q000379:methods*