Safety of the Endoscopic Procedure
The Advantages of Endoscopy
Endoscopy has been a major advance in the field of treating gastrointestinal diseases. For example, using endoscopes allows the detection of ulcers, cancers, polyps, and sites of internal bleeding. Through endoscopy, tissue samples may be obtained, regions of blockage could be opened, and active bleeding can be stopped. Polyps in the colon can be removed, that has been proven to avoid colon cancer. Endoscopy involves the use of flexible tubes, known as endoscopes, to provide a close-up, color TV Set view from the inside of patient’s digestive system. Upper endoscopes are passed through the mouth to visualize the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum, while lower endoscopes are with the rectum to view the colon, or large intestine. Other special endoscopes allow physicians to view portions of the pancreas, liver, and gallbladder as well.
Endoscopy is definitely completed on an outpatient basis and it is perfectly tolerated by patients. The strategy of endoscopy is very safe, with really low rates of problems, when performed by a properly qualified endoscopist.
The Characteristics of the Endoscope:
An endoscope consists of a bendable tube, which is passed to the digestive system use a video image, and a control section, which allows the endoscopist to maneuver the end of the flexible tube inside in a precise manner. Within the tube are the electronics essential to obtain the video image, cables that permit control of the flexible tip, and channels that permit the passage of equipment to sample tissue, stop bleeding, or remove polyps. The endoscope is really a complicated but long lasting device and it is safe for use in a large number of procedures
How the Preparation of the Endoscope for Each Procedure Makes sure Patient Safety
In all regions of medicine and surgery, difficult medical products are generally not useless after use in one patient but rather are reused in subsequent patients. This exercise is extremely safe, provided the products are properly prepared, or reprocessed, prior to each procedure, so as to eliminate any risk that an infection might be sent from one patient to another. Before the operation of a procedure, an endoscope should be cautiously cleaned and disinfected. The steps involved with cleaning and disinfecting an endoscope as follows:
Physical cleaning:
The operating channels and external portions of the endoscope are washed thoroughly, wiped with special liquids that contain enzymes, and brushed with special cleaning tools. These steps alone can eliminate potentially harmful viruses and other microbes from an endoscope. However, a lot more is done prior to the endoscope is considered ready to be used.
Utilization of chemical disinfectants:
Next, the endoscope is soaked continuously for an appropriate period of time with one of several approved liquid chemicals that destroy microorganisms which can cause infections in humans, including the AIDS virus, hepatitis viruses, and potentially harmful bacteria. There are a variety of chemical disinfectants accustomed to achieve high level disinfection. This process eliminates virtually all microbial life except for some inactivate dormant organisms known as spores. However, spores are uncommonly present in endoscopes and, even when present, are not bad for humans. Even though most high-level disinfectants will also be sterilants (which kills all spores), this requires a lot longer exposure time, and has not been shown to become essential. A person’s mouth, small intestine, colon, and rectum contain millions of non-harmful bacteria. Therefore, when the endoscope touches the internal surface of patient, it's not sterile. The goal of a "sterile" endoscope right from the start towards the end of the procedure is not achievable. Therefore, the goal of reprocessing is to eliminate in the endoscope any potentially harmful microbes. This goal is possible rich in level disinfectant chemicals by following standard reprocessing rules.
Rinsing and drying:
After exposure to caffeine anti-bacterial, the endoscope channels are flushed with sterile water followed by alcohol after which air dried to get rid of any moisture that may be a site of bacterial development from the surroundings. The endoscope is then stored on a particular hanger to maintain it dry and free from contamination.
Leakage testing:
The endoscope is examined to be certain that we now have no leaks in its internal operating channels. This not only assures highest performance from the endoscope, but also allows immediate detection of internal defects that could be a possible focus of infection within the device. Despite its complex electronics, a whole endoscope could be submersed totally in liquid so that leakage testing can be executed.
