Study: Nearly Three-Quarters Of Commonly Used Medical Scopes Tainted By Bacteria

(By Chad Terhune for California Healthline produced by Kaiser Health News)

In an ominous sign for patient safety, 71 percent of reusable medical scopes deemed ready for use on patients tested positive for bacteria at three major U.S. hospitals, according to a new study.

The paper, published last month in the American Journal of Infection Control, underscores the infection risk posed by a wide range of endoscopes commonly used to peer deep into the body. It signals a lack of progress by manufacturers, hospitals and regulators in reducing contamination despite numerous reports of superbug outbreaks and patient deaths, experts say. Continue reading article here…

This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, which publishes California Healthline, a service of the California Health Care Foundation.”

Kaiser Health News is a nonprofit national health policy news service that is part of the nonpartisan Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

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