10 steps for smart endoscope handling and maintenance 

1. Staff Education. This is often overlooked, but this is one of the most effective ways to reduce scope repair costs. New employees should be trained before handling expensive scopes and training should be repeated at least once per year. A quality repair vendor should be able to provide you with CE-approved training sessions.

2. Require all personnel responsible for handling scopes to read the AORN’s Recommendations for endoscope cleaning.

3. Know that all cleaning solutions can be corrosive and harmful to endoscope components. Overexposure must be avoided and manufacturer’s instructions must always be followed. 

4. In our experience, it makes sense to limit the number of personnel responsible for cleaning and handling scopes. If this isn’t possible, make sure that training is mandated for all who are responsible for this most important task. 

5. Minimize the distance between where the scope is used and where the scope is cleaned. If transport cannot be avoided, make sure that properly sized containers are available to transport the scopes. 

6. Be sure to use the proper cleaning brush. By using the properly sized cleaning brushes, you can eliminate the potential of major repairs. Brushes that are too large in diameter run the risk of getting stuck in the channel. If this happens, a major repair and a major invoice
are the price you will pay. A brush too small will not clean properly. Consult your operator’s manual and know the exact diameter of each of the scope’s channels.

7. By maintaining an adequate inventory of scopes, facilities can reduce the reprocessing pressure and stress placed on heavy-use scopes. This practice will extend the life of your scopes and will greatly reduce your repair budget. 

8. Leak test, leak test, leak test! Leak testing should be performed on all flexible endoscopes following each use.  Failure to do so can lead to fluid invasion and major repair costs.  

9. Make sure the water resistant cap is installed. All video scopes require the water resistant cap to be placed on the scope before performing the leak test. Failure to follow this step will also lead to expensive repair charges.