When endoscope reprocessing is not performed properly, there can be devastating effects. A classic example of this is the outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) that occurred among patients at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle. The drug-resistant superbug was spread among 32 patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) at Virginia Mason between 2012 and 2014, via improperly disinfected duodenoscopes. Eleven of the patients died.
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