Quality Assurance

Sampling and culturing is one possibility to monitor the quality of endoscope reprocessing. Routine microbiological monitoring primarily targets bacteria and fungi, whereas viruses and prions receive lower priority due to the complexity of their culturing requirements. Find here an overview about important information related to sampling and culturing including indicator microorganisms.

Publications

Expert Q&A

Endoscope Cleaning Verification Testing

Use cleaning verification to assess manual cleaning effectiveness, improve reprocessing consistency, and meet evolving guidelines for endoscope and patient safety.

Expert Q&A

Implementing Endoscope Sampling and Culturing

Endoscope sampling and culturing provides quantitative insights into potential contamination and informs end-users about opportunities to improve reprocessing steps from precleaning to storage.

Expert Q&A

What is Endoscope Sampling and Culturing?

Explore key insights in endoscopy - what is endoscope sampling and culturing, why it matters, and how it supports patient safety through effective reprocessing practices.

Scientific Summary

Acinetobacter and Endoscopy

Learn how Acinetobacter evolved from natural habitats to medical settings, its role in microbial surveillance, and its potential risks in medical environments.

Scientific Summary

Endoscope Sampling and Culturing Methods

Learn about a study comparing six duodenoscope sampling methods, revealing microbial recovery rates from 1% to 39%, highlighting the need for standardized endoscope contamination monitoring.

Scientific Summary

Olympus Symposium During WFHSS 2023

Gain valuable insights from the interactive symposium focusing on the importance of sampling and culturing to enhance reprocessing quality.

Infographic

Microbiology: The Meaning of Contamination

Find out more about possible routes of infection and important key terminology associated with contamination.

Scientific Summary

Retrospective Analysis of Microbiological Endoscope Samples

The study written by Lionel Pineau provides a comprehensive analysis of 90,311 endoscope samples collected between 2004 and 2021 in 490 French private or public healthcare facilities.

Scientific Summary

Elution of Working Channels With the Flush-Brush-Flush-Method

Compared with flush sampling alone, the use of an endoscope cleaning brush and a second flush step can detect more microorganisms in a higher percentage.

Scientific Summary

Results Endoscope Hygiene Experts Forum

Read more about the results of the EHEF as well as latest topics in infection prevention in the areas of quality control, scope innovations, and training refinements.

Infographic

Sampling and Culturing: Stage One – Sampling

Microbiological sampling and culturing is a multi-step surveillance testing technique. In stage one, the sampling of the endoscope channels and critical areas is performed.

Infographic

Sampling and Culturing: Stage Two – Culturing

Microbiological sampling and culturing is a multi-step surveillance testing technique. Stage two evaluates collected samples to detect any contamination after reprocessing.

Scientific Summary

Understanding the Differences in Sampling and Culturing

Gain insides about sampling and culturing of flexible endoscopes, why it is essential in infection prevention and why a unified approach is so important.

Scientific Summary

US Study: Sampling, Culturing, and Evaluating Correctly

The study has shown that implementing a sampling and culturing program helps to increase patient safety and improves internal quality assurance.

White Paper

Tips and Tricks for Sampling and Culturing

Employing an endoscope sampling and culturing program can be very beneficial in detecting contamination before patient use.

Scientific Summary

Nationwide Systematic Survey of Duodenoscopes

Study from the Netherlands investigated the prevalence of contamination among duodenoscopes used for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).

Scientific Summary

Study on Contamination Risks from EUS and Duodenoscopes

A nationwide study in the Netherlands investigated the prevalence of contaminated duodenoscopes and linear ultrasound endoscopes.

Indicator Microorganisms

Acinetobacter calcoaceticus

A. calcoaceticus is difficult to distinguish from other species of the ACB complex. Rarely isolated from human clinical specimens, its involvement in clinical infections remains unclear.

Acinetobacter radioresistens

A. radioresistens is ubiquitously distributed, its prevalence and pathogenicity remain unknown. Only a few cases have been found of the pathogen having been isolated from patient samples.

Candida albicans

Candida albicans - Disease patterns, transmission route, antibiotic resistance, and its relevance for endoscope processing.

Candidozyma (Candida) auris

Candidozyma (Candida) auris is an emerging, multidrug-resistant yeast causing severe infections, persistent skin colonization, and transmission risks in clinical and endoscopy settings.

Enterococcus faecalis

The species E. faecium, E. faecalis are the most clinically relevant. E. faecalis is one of the most common triggers for multidrug-resistant hospital-acquired infections.

Escherichia coli, EHEC, ETEC, EPEC

E. coli bacteria are the most common pathogens of nosocomial infections. They can cause a variety of diseases and show high rates of decreased antimicrobial susceptibility.

Klebsiella pneumoniae

Studies investigating the prevalence of contamination among duodenoscopes used for ERCP, show Klebsiella pneumoniae to be an organism of high concern.

Massilia spp.

Few infections with Massilia bacteria have been described in the literature. Most infections are caused by Massilia timonae and occur as co-infections or in immunosuppressed patients.

Neisseria spp.

Neisseria spp. are gram-negative bacteria in humans, with N. meningitidis and N. gonorrhoeae as key pathogens. Known for antibiotic resistance and immune evasion, they pose clinical challenges.

Pantoea spp.

P. agglomerans, the predominant species among Pantoea spp., is the species that most commonly triggers infections in humans. Infections predominantly affect immunosuppressed patients.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Known as a waterborne bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is also a strong biofilm former that shows resistance against numerous antibiotics.

Roseomonas mucosa

Roseomonas mucosa has the greatest clinical significance of the species within this genus. Literature has reported several cases of infections in which R. mucosa was identified as the trigger.

Shigella spp.

Shigella spp. are one of the leading causes of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide and belong to the group of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MRGN).

Sphingomonas spp.

Sphingomonas spp. are commonly found in water and the environment and can cause a wide range of diseases. According to literature, the most common route of transmission is nosocomial.

Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common causes of nosocomial infections. Some strains of Staphylococcus aureus are also able to produce toxins.

Staphylococcus lugdunensis

S. lugdunensis is characterized as the most virulent species of the CNS. The bacteria occur less commonly but can trigger life-threatening infections, comparable to infections caused by S. aureus.

Yersinia spp.

The pathogens Y. enterocolitica, Y. pseudotuberculosis trigger yersiniosis and are spread throughout the world. In Europe, yersiniosis is the third most frequently reported foodborne illness.

Elevate Your Expertise in Sampling and Culturing

Explore our new e-learning with the focus on the essentials and important key aspects of endoscope sampling and culturing.

E-Learning Sampling and Culturing