We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




Colonoscopy and OGD Infection Risk Higher Than Expected

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 20 Jun 2018
Print article
Image: A new study shows the infection rate following colonoscopy and endoscopy are much higher than previously thought (Photo courtesy of Alamy).
Image: A new study shows the infection rate following colonoscopy and endoscopy are much higher than previously thought (Photo courtesy of Alamy).
Colonoscopies and osophagogastroduodenoscopies (OGDs) performed at outpatient specialty centers result in far more infections than previously believed, according to a new study.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University (JHU; Baltimore, MD, USA) conducted a study to estimate the rates of infections following colonoscopy and OGD procedures performed during 2014 in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) in the states of California, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, New York, and Vermont. The researchers identified infection-related emergency department (ED) visits and in-patient admissions within 7 and 30 days of the screening procedure, noted infection sites and organisms, and analyzed predictors of infections. Screening mammography, prostate cancer screening, bronchoscopy, and cystoscopy procedures were comparators.

The results revealed post-endoscopic infection rates of 1.1 per 1,000 for screening colonoscopy, 1.6 for non-screening colonoscopy, and 3 for OGD procedures; all higher than screening mammography (0.6), but lower than bronchoscopy (15.6) and cystoscopy (4.4). The rates of 7-day post-endoscopic infections varied widely by ASC, ranging from 0-115 per 1,000 procedures for screening colonoscopy, 0-132 for non-screening colonoscopy and 0-62 for OGD. Predictors included recent history of hospitalization or endoscopic procedure; low procedure volume or non-freestanding ASC; younger or older age; black or Native American race, and male sex. The study was published in the May 2018 issue of Gut.

“Patients who had been hospitalized before undergoing one of the procedures were at even greater risk of infection,” said senior author Susan Hutfless, MD, of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology. “Since many ASCs lack an electronic medical record system connected to hospital EDs, those ASCs are unlikely to learn of their patients' infections. If they don't know their patients are developing these serious infections, they're not motivated to improve their infection control.”

More than 15 million colonoscopies and seven million EGDs are performed annually in the United States alone; both procedures are performed with reusable endoscopes. Inadequate reprocessing between patients can result in retention of blood, tissue, and other biological debris, which can allow microbes to survive the disinfection or sterilization process. Inadequate reprocessing can also result in other adverse patient outcomes, such as tissue irritation from residual chemical disinfectants.

Related Links:
Johns Hopkins University

Gold Member
POC Blood Gas Analyzer
Stat Profile Prime Plus
Gold Member
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Sample-To-Answer Test
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Cartridge (CE-IVD)
Silver Member
Compact 14-Day Uninterrupted Holter ECG
NR-314P
New
Breast Imaging Workstation
SecurView

Print article

Channels

Surgical Techniques

view channel
Image: NTT and Olympus have begun the world\'s first joint demonstration experiment of a cloud endoscopy system (Photo courtesy of Olympus)

Cloud Endoscopy System Enables Real-Time Image Processing on the Cloud

Endoscopes, which are flexible tubes inserted into the body's natural openings for internal examination and biopsy collection, are becoming increasingly vital in medical diagnostics. Their minimal invasiveness... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The newly-launched solution can transform operating room scheduling and boost utilization rates (Photo courtesy of Fujitsu)

Surgical Capacity Optimization Solution Helps Hospitals Boost OR Utilization

An innovative solution has the capability to transform surgical capacity utilization by targeting the root cause of surgical block time inefficiencies. Fujitsu Limited’s (Tokyo, Japan) Surgical Capacity... Read more

Health IT

view channel
Image: First ever institution-specific model provides significant performance advantage over current population-derived models (Photo courtesy of Mount Sinai)

Machine Learning Model Improves Mortality Risk Prediction for Cardiac Surgery Patients

Machine learning algorithms have been deployed to create predictive models in various medical fields, with some demonstrating improved outcomes compared to their standard-of-care counterparts.... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The PATHFAST hs-cTnI-II high-sensitivity troponin assay has been developed for the PATHFAST Biomarker Analyzer (Photo courtesy of Polymedco)

POC Myocardial Infarction Test Delivers Results in 17 Minutes

Chest pain is the second leading cause of emergency department (ED) visits by adults in the United States, generating over 7 million visits annually. In the event of a suspected heart attack, physicians... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.