The FDA’s Safety Communication Update for Reprocessing Bronchoscopes

Endoscopy Insights

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently updated a safety communication on reprocessing flexible bronchoscopes. In that update, the FDA recommends, among other things, that healthcare providers consider using single-use bronchoscopes when there is increased risk of spreading infection and when treating COVID-19 patients. To break down this announcement and what it means, we talked to Dr. Hudson Garrett, an infection prevention and control expert who is sought after for strategic insights and advice on infectious disease, epidemiology, patient safety and medical affairs.