Why is the visual inspection of lumens important?

The visual inspection of medical device lumens during reprocessing is widely recommended by all major professional healthcare associations and is one of the most critical steps in achieving increased patient safety. Each year, deadly infections continue to spread by way of dirty and contaminated endoscopes, causing great risk to patients and as well as to hospital systems and healthcare providers. In a 2018 study published in the American Journal of Infection Control, 71% of reusable medical scopes qualified as ready for use on patients tested positive for bacteria at three U.S. hospitals.  Sterile Processing Department professionals work very hard to adhere to medical device manufacturers reprocessing IFU’s, however, there is simply no way to verify that a device lumen is undamaged and clear of bioburden, debris and moisture unless it is visually inspected.