The FDA — along with the Centers of Disease Control & Prevention, representatives from the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) and other endoscope-culturing experts — has developed voluntary standardized protocols for duodenoscope surveillance sampling and culturing.
The protocols outline steps hospitals and health care facilities can take to reduce the risk of infection and increase the safety of these medical devices. These steps are in addition to meticulously following manufacturer-reprocessing instructions.
A webcast March 22 will provide more information. (Jessica Symank)
