Infection prevention in gastroenterology
The best and safest way of reprocessing endoscopes is,
according to the HYGEA survey (Hygiene in Gastroenterology
– Endoscope Reprocessing), manual pre-cleaning
immediately after use on the patient. This is also
emphasized by acknowledged guidelines, bodies such
as the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and various gastroenterological
societies. This should be followed by fully
automatic, chemo-thermal reprocessing of the endoscopes,
including fi nal rinsing with thermally disinfected
water.