PENTAX Medical’s online hygiene event provides platform for expert insights: Ways to further improve patient safety in endoscopy

PENTAX Medical’s online hygiene event provides platform for expert insights: Ways to further improve patient safety in endoscopy

HAMBURG, 30 March 2021- Infection prevention is pivotal in endoscopy. Working closely with experts for market insight is crucial to ensure PENTAX Medical’s hygiene solutions are directly based on clinicians and patients’ needs. To build on valuable insights from their 2019 multidisciplinary panel discussion in Augsburg, PENTAX Medical held its first online hygiene event at the end of 2020. This event included a plenary discussion with four experts in endoscopy to discuss ways to enhance endoscopy hygiene guidelines for improved patient outcomes.

 PENTAX Medical is committed to addressing medical device hygiene challenges by continually innovating products, optimizing processes, and integrating feedback from the market. Michael Unger, PENTAX Medical General Manager Marketing, Product and Business Development EMEA explained: “Engaging in a dialogue with experts like we did during the online hygiene event, which provides market insights and helps to ensure all our solutions are directly based on practitioners’ needs to treat the patient in the best possible way. We aim to continue driving PENTAX Medical’s strategic objectives under the Triple Aim. This means providing solutions that improve clinical outcomes, and enhance experience and satisfaction, whilst maximizing value.”

The field of endoscopy is developing much quicker than the local and global guidelines currently in place to safeguard medical device hygiene. Prof. Marco Bruno, Head of the Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, stated: “We must devote our time and resources conducting strong research. The outcome of this research will guide healthcare providers towards necessary steps for improved patient safety, and support in the making of strong guidelines. This will result in a greater acceptance of guidelines, because physicians want to follow what is scientifically proven.”

During the multi-disciplinary panel discussion, the experts highlighted the importance of acknowledging reprocessing staff and their crucial role within the endoscopy unit, calling on greater investment to equip staff with improved training. Watch the key takeaways from the hygiene event or read about them below.

Investing in people, improved processes, and new technologies 

Marjon de Pater-Godthelp, President of ESGENA and Head Nurse Endoscopy, Amsterdam UMC, the Netherlands, explained the importance of equipping staff with extensive training in reprocessing and simplified Instructions for Use. Paul Caesar, Reprocessing and Infection Control Leader EMEA at PENTAX Medical Europe, echoed the importance of training. Mr. Caesar explained that reprocessing staff should be supported and empowered by receiving training. In combination with simplified Instructions For Use, PENTAX Medical offers a tailored training program, with the aim of offering professional education and supporting the exchange of best practices.

Prof. Bruno, continued the plenary discussion explaining that prevention of scope related infections requires dedicated teamwork and constant monitoring. Prof. Bruno suggested that close contact between reprocessing staff and endoscope departments is key.

Prof. Didier Lepelletier, Head of the Hygiene Department and Professor at the University Hospital of Nantes, France, added valuable insights from experience in the Nantes Reprocessing Centre of Flexible Endoscopes. Prof. Lepelletier explained that he saw benefits of the PlasmaTYPHOON and PlasmaBAG system; an improvement in the quality of samples with a 40% conformity in 2013 before implementation of the PlasmaTYPHOON and PlasmaBAG system, compared to 84% in 2019 after the implementation of the system.

PENTAX Medical’s main objectives are to minimize the risk of infection, improve clinical outcomes, and enhance the professional's experience and healthcare productivity within endoscopy. By offering solutions like the DEC™ Duodenoscope, single use consumables, and the PlasmaTYPHOON and PlasmaBAG system, PENTAX Medical provides physicians with a portfolio of hygiene solutions to improve infection prevention and patient safety in endoscopy.

As endoscopy is an area that is growing in terms of its importance as both a key diagnostic utility and a therapeutic intervention, the experts present at the panel discussion committed to keep advocating for evidence based guidelines, training for reprocessing personnel, and new innovations  – with patient safety as their greatest priority.