NZS HB 8149:2001

Currently, many flexible endoscopes undergo high-level chemical disinfection between patient use. Because of their complicated hollow structure, these endoscopes are difficult to clean and disinfect, and infection has been reported to be transmitted to patients through gastrointestinal or bronchoscopic procedures in hundreds of cases over the last 20 years. This Handbook deals primarily with microbiological surveillance of flexible hollow endoscopes.