GI Unit Leadership: Optimizing Endoscopy Operations through Leadership (Virtual) | February 2025-ASGE guideline

ASGE guideline_Scope Reprocessing Comparison

Pdf Summary

The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) Quality Assurance in Endoscopy Committee outlines guidelines for the reprocessing of gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopes, crucial for preventing infections during their use. This guideline emphasizes the cleaning and disinfecting of flexible endoscopes, which come into contact with bodily fluids. Proper reprocessing is vital to reduce or eliminate pathogen transmission and is a cornerstone for maintaining accreditation across endoscopy units.<br /><br />National standards, including those from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, do not specify a single reprocessing guideline, allowing endoscopy units discretion in choosing the most suitable ones. This leads to variability in implementation and potential challenges in complying with various federal and state regulations. Therefore, the document stresses the importance of understanding different guidelines and aligning practices to prevent contradictions.<br /><br />The review examines various recommendations from notable organizations like the ASGE, European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE), and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). Key focuses include staff training, endoscopy unit layout, manual cleaning, high-level disinfection (HLD), and endoscope storage. While there is consensus on many practices, areas of disagreement exist, such as the volume of solution used, the timing of testing for disinfectants, and the appropriate scheduling of endoscope verification.<br /><br />With its aim to enhance clarity, the document provides a comparative review of existing guidelines to assist endoscopy units and regulatory bodies in decision-making processes. It also introduces a risk assessment tool to facilitate the accreditation process through better guideline interpretation and implementation. The document acknowledges the necessity of future evidence-based refinements to these guidelines through greater collaboration between national organizations and regulatory agencies.

Keywords

ASGE guidelines

endoscope reprocessing

infection prevention

flexible endoscopes

pathogen transmission

national standards

staff training

high-level disinfection

risk assessment tool

accreditation process