Procedures in endoscope reprocessing and monitoring: an Italian survey

Background. The high diffusion of endoscopes worldwide and the need for effective reprocessing methods requested the development of guidelines and implementation of surveillance procedures at local level. Study design. In order to collect data on everyday's practice and adherence to available guidelines, endoscopy units from different public institutions were surveyed using a dedicated questionnaire. Methods. Between July and November 2015 a survey was carried in 12 main hospitals from 10 different Italian regions, involving 22 endoscopy units. The state of the art of national and international guidelines was investigated to compare the protocols adopted at local level. Results. In all the surveyed hospitals, the reprocessing activity is based on pre-established protocols in adherence with principal guidelines. Enzymatic detergents, which are recommended by the international guidelines, are used in 55.6% of units and peracetic acid is currently the most widely used chemical disinfectant. Discrepancies were observed in the application of periodic quality controls. Conclusions. Updated guidelines are generally applied in reprocessing practice. Quality controls may represent a critical issue to improve effectiveness and surveillance. The whole of acquired data can promote a positive trend towards the application of best practices.