The Gastrointestinal (GI) team at Colorado’s Rock Creek Medical Office performs nearly 200 colonoscopies and upper endoscopies a week, sometimes using the same equipment as much as three times a day.

So when team members heard about a case on the national news involving patients outside of Kaiser Permanentewho were exposed to dirty scopes, they wanted to ensure that same problem didn’t happen to their patients.

“Although patient to patient exposure is rare, it has devastating effects,” says William Berry, MD.

When a patient is exposed to a previously used scope that isn’t properly sanitized, it can lead to the spread of HIV, Hepatitis C and other dangerous illnesses.

The team wanted to devise a foolproof method for identifying clean scopes so there would be no confusion at the time of a procedure.

Team members tried several tests for tagging clean scopes and finally landed on a process that is working to guarantee patient safety.

Once a scope is used, it goes through a series of steps, including pre-wash, manual cleaning and then mechanized high-level disinfection. Immediately following this process a blue tag is attached clearly identifying it as clean and ready to be used again.

When the physician is ready to perform the test, he or she has to remove the tag to use the scope.

“If there is no tag on the scope, it cannot be certified as being properly processed,” says Berry, “and is therefore returned to the cleaning station.”

The team posted reminder signs on computers in the exam rooms to help remind staff members of the new process. “This was a collaborative effort between the endoscopy assistant, procedure RNs and physicians,” says manager Holly LeRoux.

To test their new process, a clean, untagged scope was deliberately planted with the clean scopes to see if the physician and staff members would realize it wasn’t properly tagged before a procedure. The system worked: The physician noted it didn’t have the proper tag on it, so the scope wasn’t used. Had he not found it, the team would have brought the error to his attention. The team has not had any situations where a dirty scope was used on a patient.

Why are colonoscopies important?

Medical experts recommend that men and women over the age of 50 get regular screenings to detect colon cancer. Colonoscopies, flexible sigmoidoscopies and fecal occult blood tests are the three primary methods used.

According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States in both men and women.

Regular screening for colon cancer is having an impact. For the last 20 years, the death rate from colorectal cancer has been dropping. Part of the reason for that, according to the American Cancer Society, is that polyps are being found through screening and removed before they can develop into cancer. Screening also allows for earlier detection of cancer, when the disease is easier to cure.