Disinfection and sterilization of gastrointestinal endoscopy. Its medicolegal aspects

ABSTRACT

This study included 200 samples collected from flexible upper gastrointestinalendoscopes [100 before flexible gastroscopes and 100 after disinfection], 20samples from water used in washing and 20 from disinfecting solution. Also,culture of environmental room air was done. Samples were cultured onMacConkey, blood and nutrient agar and specific Skirrow's medium for H.pylori. Before endoscopic disinfection, cultures revealed 15% infection withH. Pylori, 10% Staph. aureus, 8% Micrococci, 7% Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 4% E.Coli, 2% Strep. Faecalis and 1% for Strep. hemolyticus, Enterobacter cloacaeand Staph. Epidermidis. 51% of cultures showed no growth. Followingdisinfection cultures still showed 6% Micrococci, 3% Staph. aureus and 1% H.pylori. The antiseptic solution and water for wash at the beginning of theday showed no growth and at mid-day the water showed growth of Pseudomonas andH. pylori. Environmental air showed growth of Staph. aureus, Klebsiellaoxytoca ans Candida albicans