Blog barnaclínic


30 August, 2021

The Hospital Clínic group incorporates disposable duodenoscopes in order to reduce the risk of in-hospital infections

One of the main concerns in a hospital environment is avoiding nosocomial infections, ones which are contracted during a stay in a hospital and are usually caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. During the COVID-19 pandemicpreventing infections of this type gained even more importance to, somehow, slow the spread of the disease. One of the possible sources of infection is when instruments that are difficult to disinfect are used on multiple patients.   

“The endoscopes are made up of complex mechanisms that are difficult to disinfect 100%, this means that the complete sterilisation of these instruments is not always achieved”, explains Dr. Andrés Cárdenas, consultant at the Instituto Clínico de Enfermedades Digestivas y Metabólicas del Hospital Clínic (Clinical Institute of Digestive and Metabolic Disease of Hospital Clínic) and specialist at barnaclínic+. This is why, at Hospital Clínic group we’ve started using disposable duodenoscopes, a type of endoscope that’s longer in length and, due to its special characteristics, particularly complicated to effectively sterilise.  

 

“The endoscopes are made up of complex mechanisms that are difficult to disinfect 100%, this means that the complete sterilisation of these instruments is not always achieved” 

Dr. Andrés Cárdenas, consultant at the Instituto Clínico de Enfermedades Digestivas y Metabólicas del Hospital Clínic (Clinical Institute of Digestive and Metabolic Disease of Hospital Clínic) and specialist at barnaclínic+ 

What are disposable duodenoscopes? 

The disposable duodenoscope is an instrument that’s used to carry out a retrograde cholangiography endoscope, a procedure in which the bile and pancreatic ducts are evaluated. The disposable duodenoscopes that we have started using are made by Boston Scientific, they include an image processor that is incorporated in the endoscopy room and have been recently approved for use.  

When do you use a disposable duodenoscope? 

For the time being, disposable duodenoscopes are not being used on all patients, just the ones that are at high risk. “We’re using them in that way on patients who are at high risk of transmitting in-hospital infections because they have multidrug-resistant bacteria and in those that are immunodeficient as well as those that are in danger of contracting infections that can be transmitted via conventional endoscopes”, adds Dr. Andrés Cárdenas, who also mentions that the new disposable duodenoscopes are thrown away once the test has finished, so they don’t have to go through the cleaning and sterilisation process.  

“We’re using them lin that way on patients who are at high risk of transmitting in-hospital infections because they have multidrug-resistant bacteria and in those that are immunodeficient as well as those that are in danger of contracting infections that can be transmitted via conventional endoscopes” 

Dr. Andrés Cárdenas, consultant at the Instituto Clínico de Enfermedades Digestivas y Metabólicas del Hospital Clínic (Clinical Institute of Digestive and Metabolic Disease of Hospital Clínic) and specialist at barnaclínic+ 


Dr. Andrés Cárdenas is a specialist in Haematology, Gastrointerology and Digesgtive Endoscopy at barnaclínic+ and is a consultant at the Instituto Clínico de Enfermedades Digestivas y Metabólicas at the Hospital Clínic in Barcelona. In this video he explains what cirrhosis is, what different types there are and what the treatment consists of. He also explains the differences between chronic and acute liver-deficiency. Finally, he analises when, with this pathology, one should consider a hepatic transplant and what the medical treatment post liver-transplant consists of.  


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