Ideas That Work: If Yellow Label Is Broken, Don't Use That Scope

EXTRA LAYER OF PROTECTION If the label and sleeve on reprocessed endoscopes hanging in the storage cabinet have been disturbed, the scope is not suitable for patient use.

If Yellow Label Is Broken, Don't Use That Scope

How can you know for certain that the endoscopes hanging in the storage cabinet are still as clean as they were when you hung them there? We devised a simple method to ensure that scopes are ready for patient use.

1 After the high-level disinfection cycle is complete, slide a plastic sleeve over the entire length of the scope.

2 Keep the sleeve open at the bottom so condensation does not form in the scope's channels.

3 Wrap the top of the sleeve around the endoscope's head and secure it in place with a custom-made label that notes the date the scope was processed and the storage expiration date (we permit a 21-day hang time between uses).

A scope is considered contaminated if the label and sleeve are not intact when you go to remove it from the cabinet.

Erika Grace, MS, RN, CNOR, CPHQ
University California, San Francisco Medical Center
San Francisco, Calif.
[email protected]