FDA safety notice relating to contamination of bronchoscopes

The FDA has issued a safety notice after investigation of 109 Medical Device Reports (MDRs) from January 2010 to June 2015 concerning infections and contamination of flexible bronchoscopes used in throat or airway procedures. In 2014 regulators had received some 50 MDRs referring infection or contamination of flexible bronchoscopes that were already cleaned.The FDA recommends that facilities strictly adhere to manufacturers instructions and ensure staff are adequately trained to properly clean the devices. A similar set of instructions was issued in August concerning reports of the spread of infections via endoscopes.