EFHSS Questions and Answers - Question Q00298

Has anyone any information and guidelines on the decontamination and sterilization of Nasendoscopes please?
I have an MDA Bulletin MDA DB2002(05) Decontamination of Endoscopes but there is nothing specific in there regarding Nasendoscopes. Any information would be greatly welcomed.

Thanks
Sue Kysh - CSSD Manager

Dear,

I give you hereby the cleaning and disinfection procedure for endoscopes used for nose, ear and throat, we use in our hospital (St John, Bruges).

1. After use the scope is cleaned under running water.
2. Then we differentiate for disinfection:
   • Rigid scopes without channels:
     immersion during 5 minutes in ethanol 70°. Allow it to dry.
   • Flexible scopes without channels:
     -or immersion during 5 minutes in ethanol 70° (when there is no contra-indication).
     (attention must be paid not to leave the scope longer than the required period of time in the alcoholic solution. Otherwise the lens can be damaged).
     -or wiping the scope with a gauze soaked in ethanol 70° and allow it to dry.
   • Flexible scopes with channels:
     disinfection by a washer-disinfector for endoscopes in our department of gastro-enterology.

The WIP has an excellent guideline for decontamination. The number 21b treats: Cleaning and disinfection of endoscopes.
You can find the English version on: www.wip.nl/UK/ (follow documentation, guidelines).

Good luck,
Wim Renders

Dear,

I fully agree with the procedure described by Wim Renders.
It should also be pointed out that the use of QAC (quaternary ammonium compounds) and derivatives should be avoided: there is limited material compatibility with flexible scopes (they become very floppy) and they do not cover Mycobacterium tuberculosis in their spectrum.

Dr Ives Verheyleweghen