Attention EndoNurse Shoppers!

One of the certainties of life, I have come to discover, is that you can find anything — and I mean anything on eBay. And the thing about “The World’s Online Marketplace™”, is that once you log on, you get sucked into a vortex of other people’s unwanted wares, available to the highest bidder. You get caught up in the hysteria, like those women you hear about clawing each other’s eyes out at a clearance sale at Lohmann’s. It’s like a fever — you might start innocently enough by typing in, “autographed photo of Tony Orlando,” and the next thing you know it’s three hours later and you’re in a heated bidding war over a Marie Osmond 14-inch Franny Fruit Basket porcelain doll that you don’t even want, but suddenly must have.

Out of curiosity, I decided to see if there was any endoscopy equipment up for bid. It was disquieting to discover that you could conceivably furnish an entire endoscopy suite for under $5,000, based on the endoscopes, video equipment and other sundries available. Why not just buy some scopes from the trunk of somebody’s car, or from an ad in the back of a comic book? “Send in 300 Bazooka gum wrappers and get a free polypectomy snare!” Can you even imagine if you went in for a colonoscopy and the tech said proudly, “We got this scope on eBay!”

Shopping. Paper or plastic? Cash, credit or debit? Would you like express delivery with that?

How many times have I found myself thinking, “Where can a guy like me go to get my hands on a good bowel evacuant?” Okay, never. But wouldn’t it be nice to have a place to shop for the tools of your trade? Well, here it is. In this issue, we’re delighted to bring you the first-ever EndoNurse Buyer’s Guide. This resource is like your own endo/gastro mega-mall, and includes just about everything but a Starbucks. I invite you to grab a shopping cart and wander the aisles; browse everything from anesthetics to waste management. The premier companies in endoscopy and gastroenterology products and services are all right here, ready to serve you. Like kids let loose in a candy store, we hope you will find everything that your hearts desire.

Happy entrails to you!

John Roark
Managing Editor

Editor’s note: Sherri Butler, RN, nurse manager of the endoscopy lab at Saint Francis Hospital in Memphis, Tenn writes:

“The article, ‘Handle With Care: Cleaning and Disinfecting Rigid and Flexible Scopes,’ (EndoNurse, August/September 2004) went through the steps of cleaning and disinfecting scopes. You wrote ‘Step One: Pre-cleaning,’ including submersion of your scope in a mixture of enzymatic cleaner. Then, ‘Step Two: Leak Testing,’ to check for air leaks. When reading the article it is misleading to think that you would submerge a scope before leak testing — that would defeat the purpose of the leak test. Please write a clarification for those centers that might be questioning their practices.”

I consulted with Lawrence Muscarella, PhD, who was interviewed for the article in question. His reply is as follows:

“Ms. Butler is technically correct that the endoscope is not to be submersed until it is clearly known by performing the leak test in the reprocessing room that the it has no holes where detergent, water or liquid sterilant could enter and flow into the endoscope, damaging it. Thorough cleaning and submersion of the endoscope follows — it does not proceed — the leak test.

“‘Pre-cleaning,’ (as opposed to ‘cleaning’) generally refers to the step that is performed in the procedure room, where the suction channel is flushed with a detergent solution and air, and the air/water channels are cleared of debris. There is no immersion of the endoscope in this step, only flushing. This step, which is performed in the procedure room with the endoscope still connected to the light source, precedes leak testing and the more thorough cleaning step, which is performed in the reprocessing room.”

We apologize for any confusion this matter may have caused our readers, and thank Ms. Butler for bringing it to our attention.

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