Page 7 - The Care and Handling of Flexible Scopes v3

Care of Flexible Endoscopes

Never use sterile saline or saline solution of any kind to clean an endoscope! Saline can
damage the metal and epoxy that hold the lenses in place.

4. Transport After Procedure to a Terminal Reprocessing Area

Flexible endoscopes can be used in various facility patient care areas that are
unaccustomed to using and transporting flexible endoscopes. These patient care areas
may be using the endoscope during off-hours or weekends (eg, Emergency Department,
Respiratory Department, or CCU to list a few). All of these variables present a challenge
to ensuring the flexible endoscope is used as intended, pre-cleaned after the procedure
and returned in a timely fashion to reprocess. If the flexible endoscope is left
unattended for any length of time, it is subject to possible damage and the debris from
the procedure may dry and cake onto the inside of the channels.

Some facilities may recommend leaving the endoscope to soak in an enzymatic
detergent solution until it can be transferred back to CSSD for reprocessing. Before
implementing this step, ensure that the manufacturer has approved prolonged soaking
in any solution.

The best process is to pre-clean the endoscope in the procedure area, and if transport is
delayed, place the endoscope in a transfer bag to keep it moist. The transfer bag should
be secured in a basket or tray, separated from other articles for transport. Arrange for
transfer as soon as possible to avoid any possible damage and debris drying onto the
fiberscope’s surface or channels.

5. Leakage Testing

Leakage testing is the very first step that must be done before proceeding with any
cleaning steps (see Figure 3). The leakage test will demonstrate if there is a hole in the
covering or inner lining of the flexible endoscope. This test needs to be performed after
each use AND before the flexible endoscope is cleaned or submersed. If there is a leak in
the flexible covering, fluids can seep into the channels that house the viewing optics, the
light fibre optics, and the cables that control the distal tip. If that happens, the
endoscope can be further damaged and may require costlier repairs.
Each flexible endoscope manufacturer recommends using the manual leakage tester
designed for its particular flexible fiberscope. Ensure that you are using the correct
equipment and process steps recommended by the manufacturer; there is no universal
equipment to leak-test a flexible endoscope!

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