Supply Costs

New research quantifies how much more hospitals pay to disinfect and reuse bronchoscopes rather than purchasing single-use instruments and builds on a study last year examining the effectiveness of cleaning processes used for reusable bronchoscopes.

A new study found that sterilizing bronchoscopes took 46 minutes longer than the high-level disinfection steps used in reprocessing, and the machines used by hospitals ranged from $116,000 to $135,000, far more on average than capital outlays for automated endoscope reprocessors.

Total reprocessing time at one hospital was more than double the time at another site, but that wasn’t entirely due to an emphasis on quality. Rather, problems with water flow meant sinks took longer to fill and increased the time needed for leak tests and manual cleaning.

A variety of policies, practices and products at hospitals makes it difficult to ensure that bronchoscope reprocessing is done correctly and in a timely manner, every time. Alternatives are not only economical but critical to improving quality and ensuring patient safety.

Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy, or PDT, is considered a practical, safe and cost-effective alternative to open surgical tracheostomy, and both reusable and single-use bronchoscopes are suitable for the procedure. But single-use devices save money and eliminate contamination concerns.

Intubation and airway management during lung-isolation procedures pose a series of challenges for even the most experienced medical team. A new study shows how hospitals can save money using Ambu’s sterile, single-use product.