Pre-endoscopy check/ Use of Alcohol

[JEEMA]

Hello again. Sorry if I asked many questions. It's just that I have so many doubts in mind, and I want to compare our practice to yours too.

How do you check the scope prior to the procedure? (i.e., the suction, air & water insufflation) We check it using alcohol.

LIbra sun mentioned that she will never use alcohol esp for sclero pt. Forgive my ignorance, but can u tell me the rationale behind this?

Since we check the scope using alcohol, some of my colleagues wipe it with alcohol to get rid of the powder from the gloves, after checking it.

Our scopes also undergo alcohol flush prior to storage.

[EndoRN]

for the pre-endo check I just use clean tap water, checking both the a/w and suction channels to make sure they are working properly.

we use DSD scope washers for processing. And yes, they do an air & alcohol purge to ensure proper drying. I also do the same when manually cleaning the scope.

Amy :)

[LibraSun]

Like EndoNurse, we use water (but sterile, because the tap water here can be hard and may cause mineral buildup in the scope)to flush/check the channels.

We use an alcohol flush after cleaning to aid in drying. Because isopropol alcohol can cause descescating effects (and is toxic taken orally), scopes should not be damp/wet from this alcohol when introduced into the pts esophagus.

We try to determine what is going to be in contact with the the pts, when deciding things like cleaning agents/flushing etc. So, if the scope is going to be sent to the washer or hung to dry,then flushing with soaps/enzymatic clensers/isopropol alcohol, etc is fine. However, using these chemicals immediately PRIOR to introducing them into the patient is not appropriate. A simple decision making tool would be to ask yourself if you would be willing to take a drink of whatever substance you are using prior to introducing into the patient (for example, water, simethicone, lubricating gel vs isopropol alcohol, soap, germicides...)

I don't want you to think I am being a smart ass, but just that education is a large part of nursing and we educate each other as well as patients. We all share the same goals.