A comparative assessment of contamination rates in gastrointestinal endoscope reprocessing: sterilization versus high-level disinfection.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the disparity in culture results between sterilization and high-level disinfection (HLD) for duodenoscopes and linear endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), and to assess the effectiveness of different bacterial contamination detection methods.

Methods: This is a prospective randomized study, including duodenoscopes and linear EUS with adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence assay values below 200 relative light units after manual cleaning which were randomly assigned to undergo either sterilization or HLD in a 1:1 ratio. Following disinfection, all endoscopes were subjected to adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence assay testing and cultures using both swab and liquid samples from endoscope channels.

Common bile duct stone-related parameters and their potential prognostic values for stone extraction requiring endoscopic papillary large balloon dilation.

Background And Aim: For difficult common bile duct (CBD) stones, endoscopic sphincterotomy accompanied by endoscopic papillary large balloon dilatation (EPLBD) may be the preferred initial procedure according to the selection criteria. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between CBD stone-related parameters and their potential prognostic values for technically difficult CBD stone extraction requiring EPLBD.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 80 patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), endoscopic biliary sphincterotomy, or the aforementioned procedures combined with EPLBD, resulting in successful CBD stone extraction in the first session from January 2018 and December 2021.