The speaker, an Olympus employee, presented on the importance of manual cleaning for complex endoscopes, particularly duodenoscopes, and introduced Olympus digital software that provides step-by-step guidance and documentation for manual cleaning procedures.
- Manual cleaning is critical because it removes most microorganisms and residues from endoscopes, with the speaker stating it can reduce microbial load by 4 to 6 log from the 8 to 10 log enteric microorganisms that may be present in a gastrointestinal endoscope channel.
- A French national survey of over 150 hospitals and 350 endoscopes presented in 2021 found that major deviations from reprocessing protocols occurred during the manual cleaning phase, particularly related to duodenoscope elevator reprocessing.
- Different duodenoscope types have completely different instructions for use, and staff must be trained specifically on each endoscope type, not just duodenoscopes in general.
- Key challenges in manual cleaning include lack of education and training, insufficient repetition and experience especially in small departments with changing staff, and stress from high workload leading to errors.
- The speaker described Olympus software that uses RFID technology to guide users step-by-step through manual cleaning documentation with visual aids, addressing challenges of repetition and stress but not replacing core training.
- The software allows trained users to document that all steps were undertaken according to the instructions for use, which the speaker positioned as important evidence in case of adverse events.
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