Why Are These Medical Instruments So Tough to Sterilize?
DUODENOSCOPES have sickened hundreds of patients in hospital outbreaks. Now some experts are demanding the devices be redesigned or taken off the market.
By Roni Caryn Rabin - The New York Times - Aug. 6, 2019
Excerpts:
. . . Worse, the devices have been shown to be capable of transmitting antibiotic-resistant infections that are almost impossible to cure. . . .
. . . “The infection data are overwhelming and irrefutable, and the need is urgent,” . . . Recent tests performed by the manufacturers at the demand of the F.D.A. found that
one in 20 duodenoscopes retained disease-causing microbes . . . even after proper cleaning. . . . -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Oh, wait. The mathematical calculation in the sub-headline seems a little fuzzy. If the finding is that "one in 20 duodenoscopes retained disease-causing microbes"
and this occurs not just in the U.S., but world-wide (as quoted in the article), the number could be far beyond just "hundreds sickened" with various "superbug" infections that - for many patients - have no effective treatment or cure. -
[ 08-11-2019, 12:52 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
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TX Lyme Mom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3162
posted
Thanks, Keebler, for posting this important NYT science article. However, my question is: "Why is it taking so long for this "news" to come out in the mainstream media because this problem has been known for a long time already!
I saw something about the problem of contaminated duodenoscopes on Medscape a couple of years ago, or maybe longer ago than that.
Sorry, I don't have time to hunt for that old Medscape article right now, but it caught my attention and stuck firmly in my mind. Consequently, I am adamant about declining routine colonoscopies. These unnecessary procedures are just a money-maker for under-employed GI docs, IMO.
Furthermore, I went to the trouble of searching for data about the odds of getting colon cancer in my age group and found that it was extremely low -- less that .4 %, or perhaps .04% -- don't recall exactly-- but not nearly high enough to convince me to risk undergoing a risky colonoscopy procedure without any suspicious symptoms.
Again, I don't recall where to find that data easily again now because it's been too long ago. All I can recall is that I searched for it and found the info on Medscape.
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