An infection preventionist (IP) is investigating an outbreak associated with reprocessing of gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopes. During the investigation, the IP should review policies and procedures that address what?

• A. The calibration logs of sterilizers.
• B. The training and competency assessment of employees involved in reprocessing activities.
• C. The patient intake procedures.
• D. The environmental cleaning schedules.

Answer: (B)

The key issue is ensuring staff who reprocess GI endoscopes are properly trained and competent. Reprocessing is highly technique-specific: accurate cleaning, correct chemical concentrations, appropriate contact times, thorough manual brushing, proper mechanical action, effective high-level disinfection or sterilization, complete drying, and correct storage. If staff aren’t well trained or their competency isn’t regularly assessed, even written procedures won’t be reliably followed, increasing the risk of residual bioburden and transmission. Reviewing policies and procedures should therefore focus on training programs, competency assessments, competency verification, supervision, and ongoing education to confirm that those performing reprocessing can consistently execute each step correctly and document performance.

Equipment calibration logs, while important for maintenance and QA of sterilizers, address equipment performance rather than whether reprocessing is performed correctly by personnel. Patient intake procedures pertain to patient flow and risk before procedures, not the reprocessing process itself. Environmental cleaning schedules cover room and surface decontamination rather than the reprocessing of the endoscopes.