Highlights
- •Storage in automated cabinets with forced filtered air hastens endoscope drying.
- •Automated cabinets can reduce microbial growth due to residual endoscope moisture.
- •Automated cabinets facilitate compact horizontal endoscope storage.
- •Automated cabinets curtail the need for repeat reprocessing of unused endoscopes.
Background
Automated drying may help prevent endoscopically transmitted infections. We aimed
to assess the efficacy of an automated drying and storage cabinet compared to a standard
storage cabinet in achieving endoscope dryness postreprocessing and in reducing the
risk of microbial growth.
Methods
Drying times of bronchoscopes, colonoscopes, and duodenoscopes using 2 drying platforms
(an automated drying and storage cabinet vs a standard storage cabinet) were measured
using cobalt chloride paper. Drying assessments occurred at: 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2
hours, 3 hours, and 24 hours. A simple linear regression analysis compared rates of
microbial growth after inoculation with Pseudomonas aeruginosa following high-level disinfection at: 0, 3 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours.
Results
Using the automated drying and storage cabinet, internal channels were dry at 1 hour
and external surfaces at 3 hours in all endoscopes. With the standard storage cabinet,
there was residual internal fluid at 24 hours, whereas external surfaces were dry
at 24 hours. For bronchoscopes, colonoscopes, and duodenoscopes, the standard cabinet
allowed for an average rate of colony forming unit growth of 8.1 × 106 per hour, 8.3 × 106 per hour, and 7.0 × 107 per hour, respectively; the automated cabinet resulted in colony forming unit growth
at an average rate of –28.4 per hour (P = .02), –38.5 per hour (P = .01), and –200.2 per hour (P = .02), respectively.
Conclusions
An automated cabinet is advantageous for rapid drying of endoscope surfaces and in
reducing the risk of microbial growth postreprocessing.
Key Words
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: April 06, 2019
Footnotes
Conflicts of interest: V. Raman Muthusamy and Betty L. McGinty are consultants to Medivators.
Author contributions: V.R.M. was involved in the study design and had full access to all acquired data and independently drafted the manuscript.
Identification
Copyright
© 2019 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
