In order to minimize the risk of infection, decontamination and sterilization of endoscopes have come under scrutiny. Although there is no uniform system proposed globally or within India, this guideline may help Indian Otolaryngologist or ENT practitioners who use flexible or rigid endoscopes in their routine practice. This guideline is designed and proposed by The Royal College Of Surgeon Of England. ENT practice deals with rigid rods, flexible (with video) nasendoscopes and flexible nasendoscopes with biopsy channels.
The current decontamination system mainly includes a chemical cleansing system, endoscope sheaths, dedicated mechanical washing machines, and autoclave sterilization. Of these, chlorine dioxide wipes are the least expensive but many hospitals report the cases of cross infection. Hence chloride dioxide system is considered inferior to central decontamination system. The…
