title: Role of Clinical Endoscopy in Emphasizing Endoscope Disinfection.
abstract: Based on the unexpected Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak in Korea, it was established that the virus can spread easily, MERS exposure in hospitals carries an extreme risk for infection as well as mortality, and the sharing of information was essential for infection control. Although the incidence of exogenous infections related to contaminated endoscopes is very low, the majority of published outbreaks have been caused by various shortcomings in reprocessing procedures, including insufficient training or awareness. Ever since the inauguration of "Clinical Endoscopy" as an English-language journal of the Korean Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in 2011, it has published several articles on disinfection of the endoscope and its accessories. Many Science Citation Index journals have also emphasized high-level disinfection of the gastrointestinal endoscope. Many papers have been produced specifically, since the outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in 2013. The recent review papers concluded that quality control is the most important issue among all the aspects of procedural care, including the efficiency of the gastrointestinal endoscopy unit and reprocessing room. Thorough reprocessing of endoscopes using high-level disinfection and sterilization methods may be essential for reducing the risk of infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Kon
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Young
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang An
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Center for Gastric Cancer, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Il Ju
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Digestive Disease Center, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Korea.
authors.forename: Ki Baik
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Hahm
keywords: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae; Disease outbreaks; Disinfection; Endoscopes; Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus