HELP : Very specific question concerning Coloscope equipment

[Lady Organic]

hello Everyone,
I need your help. I had a rectoscopy (short coloscopy) today and something which appeared to me as abnormal happened just before my exam. I saw the nurse touching with his bare hands (he came in my room without washing his hands) the endoscope at about 6 inches from the light/tip camera margin of the equipment, black long tube. It appeared to have gelly on that part too where he touched it, but i am not sure.

Does anyone know if its the whole black tube that goes inside the colon during the exam or its actually another part that is inside the black tube probe that goes in? I have the feeling its the whole black tube that goes in since I saw the numbers representing centimeters on it.

I am worried the nurse may have commited a professional mistake while touching the probe barehands. My previous nurse alsways used gloves and I trusted her very much with the cleaning procedure.

Am I just paranoid?

thanks a lot!!!

 

[nogutsnoglory]

It sounds like they weren't very sanitary but most likely you will be fine. Don't hesitate to speak up though in the future, it's your body and your health at stake.

 

[kiny]

he shouldn't have touched it, my brother in law works at a facility where they clean endoscopes, they get radiated and treated for hours to make them sterile

since doorknobs in hospitals are so commonly covered in live C Difficile, it would be really stupid to touch an endoscope with bare hands

 

[Lady Organic]

thanks you. yeah I know it sounded abnormal and thats what I think abaout c-difficil.., but Are you sure the whole black tube goes inside the colon?

I'll call the endocscopy department tomorrow to report that incident.

 

[Lady Organic]

wow, im pretty MAD and also worried. Just watched this endoscopy video and we clearly see its the whole big black tube (insertion tube) thant goes all in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4YEcqyzSdE

its summer and maybe it was a replacing nurse, I dont know. i cant belive he did that and that I didnt react in time. I thought it was not right but I had so many things in mind waiting for my doctor that what happened with the nurse seemed secondary on the moment, and I chose to trust him, i got weak in front of the ''authority'' I guess:ymad:... I was outfocused. WHAT A BAD MISTAKE. im calling my GI nurse tomorrow to report that stupid careless endoscopic nurse. Hopefully I wont catch C-difficile.

how long does c-difficile take to become symptomatic? (im currently in remission)

 

[Lady Organic]

Ok i found my answer just spoke with the chief nurse of the endoscopy...

TO MY BIG SUPRISE IT IS OK TO TOUCH THE ENDOSCOPE WITH BARE HANDS!!! she explained to me colonoscopy is NOT a sterile procedure. The colon just like the mouth are not sterile environmment so extreme hygene is not crucial unlike other procedures such as biliary tracks for instance. Of course each endoscope is been sterilized after each use and every staff member is supposed to wash and disinfect hands in between each patient, but it is not important to wash hands just before touching the device. When the staff uses their gloves during the exam for them to be protected and not us. She really reassured me about C-difficile and told me than when a patient is carrier they keep him for last patient and take extreme protection. And if a patient is discovered to have c-difficile ''During'' the exam (which is easy to be seen in the scope apparently), then right after the whole department is washed. Oh well, we learn something new everyday!
I am glad i dont have to worry about that!