title: Swab culture monitoring of automated endoscope reprocessors after high-level disinfection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To conduct a bacterial culture study for monitoring decontamination of automated endoscope reprocessors (AERs) after high-level disinfection (HLD).
  
  
  METHODS
  From February 2006 to January 2011, authors conducted randomized consecutive sampling each month for 7 AERs. Authors collected a total of 420 swab cultures, including 300 cultures from 5 gastroscope AERs, and 120 cultures from 2 colonoscope AERs. Swab cultures were obtained from the residual water from the AERs after a full reprocessing cycle. Samples were cultured to test for aerobic bacteria, anaerobic bacteria, and mycobacterium tuberculosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive culture rate of the AERs was 2.0% (6/300) for gastroscope AERs and 0.8% (1/120) for colonoscope AERs. All the positive cultures, including 6 from gastroscope and 1 from colonoscope AERs, showed monofloral colonization. Of the gastroscope AER samples, 50% (3/6) were colonized by aerobic bacterial and 50% (3/6) by fungal contaminations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A full reprocessing cycle of an AER with HLD is adequate for disinfection of the machine. Swab culture is a useful method for monitoring AER decontamination after each reprocessing cycle. Fungal contamination of AERs after reprocessing should also be kept in mind.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 83305, Taiwan, China.
authors.forename: Lung-Sheng
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Keng-Liang
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yi-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Ming-Tzung
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Tsung-Hui
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: King-Wah
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Chiu
mesh_terms: D020685:Colonoscopes / Q000382:microbiology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004203:Disinfection / Q000592:standards*; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017743:Equipment Reuse; D020699:Gastroscopes / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control