Reusable endoscopic water bottles: is daily renewal really necessary?

Publication date: November 2018Source: Journal of Hospital Infection, Volume 100, Issue 3Author(s): D. Jouck, K. Magerman, L. Bruckers, L. Waumans, A. Forier, M. Blommen, D. WalgraeveSummaryMost guidelines recommend replacing endoscopic water bottles at least daily with newly sterilized or high-level disinfected water bottles. All these recommendations, however, are mainly based on expert opinions and outbreak reports. We tested the water quality from water bottles used in a gastrointestinal endoscopy unit where water bottles were used up to five days. The results show that the reuse of water bottles for more than one day is inadequate. The expert opinion in favour of changing water bottles daily rather than after five days is a sensible and safer option.
Source: Journal of Hospital Infection - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research