Mon22November0200PM 5

What is the single best method of decontaminating a non-disposable flexible fibreoptic bronchoscope prior to re-use?

(Please select 1 option)

Dry heat autoclave 160C for 50 minutes

Steamed autoclave 121C for 30 minutes and 2 bar pressure

High level disinfection Correct

Low level disinfection

Cleaning with detergent, rinsing and drying

Explanation

Flexible fibreoptic scopes are expensive items that should not be autoclaved.

Decontamination is dependent on sufficient contact time with high-level disinfectants and it is particularly important that the washing and cleaning process removes all tissue residues from the lumens. Decontamination is best achieved with an automated system.

The decontamination process is comprised of:

Cleaning

Low-level disinfection

High-level disinfection, and

Sterilisation.

Cleaning is the removal of foreign material from an item. This usually involves washing with a detergent to remove contamination followed by rinsing and drying. All organic debris, for example, blood, tissue or body fluids, must be removed before disinfection or sterilisation as its presence will inhibit the disinfectant or sterilant from contacting microbial cells. Cleaning before sterilisation is of the utmost importance in the effectiveness of decontamination procedures in reducing the risk of transmission of prions.

Low-level disinfection kills most vegetative bacteria (except TB and endospores), some fungi and some viruses using disinfectants such as sodium hypochlorite, 70% alcohol and chlorhexidine.

High-level disinfection kills vegetative bacteria (not all endospores), fungi and viruses. With sufficient contact time (often several hours), these high-level disinfectants may produce sterilisation, for example, the use of aldehydes, peracetic acid and chlorine dioxide.

Sterilisation is a process used to render an object free from viable micro-organisms, including all bacteria, spores, fungi and viruses, with techniques such as autoclaving.

Reference:

Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland. Infection Control in Anaesthesia.

NICE. Healthcare-associated infections: prevention and control in primary and community care (CG139).

Answer Statistics

1

12%

2

35%

3

36%

4

2%

5

18%

Times answered: 285