Skip to main content

Advanced Search

Projected result for your current search:: 0

Search Operators:

You can use operators in your search query to narrow down your results even more. Click on the search operator to see an explanation of how it works.
Finds documents with exactly this word group, in exactly this word order and spelling (e.g. "employer branding").
Finds documents with both search terms (e.g. sales AND bonus).
Finds documents with one or the other search term (e.g. porsche OR volkswagen).
Finds documents with all search terms. Blank space is understood as AND (e.g. man robot production).
Finds documents with no appearance of the word behind NOT (e.g. ford NOT "harrison ford").
Finds documents where the search term is mentioned at least "n" times."n" may be any number (e.g. COUNT(gear)>8).
Finds documents with both search terms in any word order, permitting "n" words as a maximum distance between them. Best choose between 15 and 30 (e.g. NEAR(recruit, professionals, 20)).
Finds documents with the search term in word versions or composites. The asterisk * marks whether you wish them BEFORE, BEHIND, or BEFORE and BEHIND the search term (e.g. lightweight*, *lightweight, *lightweight*).
Finds documents with the search term in different spellings. "?" allows only one character (e.g. organi?ation).
Special characters are understood as AND (e.g. Miller Bros. & Sons).
 Log in
Top
Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control

Reprocessing status of flexible bronchoscopes in 202 intensive care units in Hubei province, China: a multicentre cross-sectional study

  • Open Access
  • 01-12-2025
  • Research
Published in:
Authors
Yaqi Yu
Weijun Peng
Li Tan
Qi Xiao
Yixuan Wang
Chunling Guo
Juan Deng
Mengyao Jiang
Published in
Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control | Issue 1/2025

Abstract

Background

Unstandardised reprocessing procedures for flexible endoscopes can lead to infection outbreaks and threaten the lives of ICU patients. Despite recent updates to technical specification, there was a paucity of studies on the current status of flexible endoscopic reprocessing, particularly concerning flexible bronchoscopes (FB). This study aimed to assess the current practices of reprocessing FBs in ICUs in Hubei Province, China.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted utilizing convenience sampling from October 11, 2024, to December 6, 2024, in the ICUs of 216 hospitals in Hubei Province, China. A self-developed questionnaire was distributed through an online survey platform to either the person in charge of the ICU or the frontline technicians. The information regarding the reprocessing of FBs was collected, including general characteristics, personnel and training, layout and facilities, reprocessing operations, and reprocessing quality monitoring.

Results

The content validity index of the questionnaire was 0.94. There were 202 valid questionnaires collected with a validity rate of 93.52%, including 158 ICUs in tertiary hospitals and 44 in secondary and primary hospitals. The ICUs of tertiary hospitals were better than the ICUs of secondary and primary hospitals in terms of the number of FBs available, the number of dedicated technicians, the opportunity for training, the availability of some equipment and facilities (ultrasonic cleaners, whole tube irrigators, etc.), and some reprocessing operations (FB sterilisation method and storage cabinet sterilisation frequency) (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

There were variations in FB reprocessing practices across ICUs in hospitals of all levels in Hubei, along with some common issues. Most ICUs were standardised in personnel training, operation, and recording, and ICUs in tertiary hospitals behaved better than in secondary and primary hospitals. However, there remained a need for improvement in the layout of the reprocessing environment, equipment configuration, and quality monitoring. Future research could apply implementation science to identify barriers and propose strategies to align practice with guidelines.
Title
Reprocessing status of flexible bronchoscopes in 202 intensive care units in Hubei province, China: a multicentre cross-sectional study
Authors
Yaqi Yu
Weijun Peng
Li Tan
Qi Xiao
Yixuan Wang
Chunling Guo
Juan Deng
Mengyao Jiang
Publication date
01-12-2025
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control / Issue 1/2025
Electronic ISSN: 2047-2994
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-025-01593-8
This content is only visible if you are logged in and have the appropriate permissions.
This content is only visible if you are logged in and have the appropriate permissions.

Other articles of this Issue 1/2025

Assessment of the risk of aerosol transmission of CRKP during bronchoscopy in the intensive care unit

Interpreting whole-genome sequencing data during neonatal Klebsiella oxytoca complex outbreak management

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) acquisition and molecular characterization following colistin monotherapy and colistin-meropenem combination therapy: findings from the AIDA randomized trial

Preventing outbreaks in burn units: the role of hygiene compliance and early warning systems

  • Open Access
  • Research

Diversity versus clonality in carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii: a two-year surveillance study in four intensive care units at a large teaching hospital in Rome, Italy

State of infection prevention and control in Austrian hospitals: data from 81 hospitals completing the WHO Infection Prevention and Control Assessment Framework (IPCAF)

  • Open Access
  • Research

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on progress in colorectal cancer

CRC remains a major global health burden, but advances in screening, treatment, and lifestyle-based prevention continue to reshape clinical practice. Gain insights into how the latest research can be leveraged to optimize patient care across the CRC continuum.

Prof. Antoni Castells
Prof. Harpreet Wasan
Prof. Edward Giovannucci
Watch now
Image Credits
Colon cancer illustration/© (M) KATERYNA KON / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Getty Images