Scoping Out Scopes: A Comparative Study of DriScope Aid Jet Stream Versus Air Drying to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections

Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) can impact patient safety on a daily basis. Many of these infections can be traced to medical devices used to treat patients. Endoscopes or “scopes,” are medical instruments used to examine, diagnose, and treat patients internally. Because of their use in vulnerable areas of the body, the cleaning, disinfection, and drying process of endoscopes is critical to preventing outbreaks. Proper drying is essential to prevent bacteria from growing inside disinfected endoscopes. Methods: This study was done at an urban acute care hospital and compared two different drying methods. 10 endoscopes were hung vertically and air dried while another 10 went through automated drying with a DriScope Aid Jet Stream Device in a case-control method. Moisture inside the endoscopes was measured using litmus paper and a borescope examination. Microbial cultures of endoscopes were taken to measure if there was any microbial colony growth in the internal channels. A Fisher’s exact test was performed to analyze the findings. Results: The litmus paper showed that all 10 air dried endoscopes contained water droplets after drying while none of the DriScoped endoscopes showed water on the litmus paper. Upon borescope examination, the study team observed water droplets inside one of the DriScoped endoscopes. One DriScoped and two air dried endoscopes had colony growth. Statistical analysis showed a significant association (p < 0.0001) between the drying method and moisture seen on the litmus paper. Conclusion: Automated drying of endoscopes through the DriScope device was significantly associated with less water retention in the endoscopes. Technicians should be encouraged to continue using this device whenever possible in order to ensure dry endoscopes. The public health relevance of this research is that it aims to reduce HAIs, prevent outbreaks associated with endoscopes, and ensure patient safety by utilizing the most appropriate methods to dry medical devices.