Chapter 1 General Policy
3
OSF-3 ENDOSCOPE REPROCESSING MANUAL
1.2 Signal Words
The following signal words are used throughout this manual:
Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not
avoided, could result in death or serious injury.
Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not
avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury. It may also
be used to alert against unsafe practices or potential
equipment damage.
Indicates additional helpful information.
1.3 Precautions
• Failure to properly clean and high-level disinfect or sterilize
endoscopic equipment after each examination can
compromise patient safety. During use, the instrument
normally comes in contact with intact mucous membranes.
To minimize the risk of transmitting diseases from one patient
to another, after each examination the endoscope must
undergo thorough manual cleaning followed by high-level
disinfection or sterilization after each examination.
• ALL channels of the endoscope MUST be cleaned and
high-level disinfected or sterilized during EVERY
reprocessing cycle, even if the channels were not used
during the previous patient procedure. Otherwise, insufficient
cleaning and disinfection or sterilization of the endoscope
may pose an infection control risk to the patient and/or
operators performing the next procedure with the endoscope.
• If the endoscope is not cleaned meticulously, effective
disinfection (or sterilization) may not be possible. Clean the
endoscope and accessories thoroughly before disinfection or
sterilization to remove microorganisms or organic material
that could hamper disinfection or sterilization efficiency.
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