Article: Controversial bills propose endoscope sterility standards.

New York state ponders mandating patient consent forms if only high-level disinfection is used

Word of a bill that would mandate written patient consent for the use of nonsterilized flexible endoscopes rippled through a crowd at the infection control convention recently.

The proposed New York state legislation would force healthcare professionals to either sterilize flexible endoscopes or use sheathing technology. And if neither of those provisions were met and the current standard procedure -- high-level disinfection -- were used, providers would have to make patients sign consent forms, recognizing that scopes being used had not been sterilized.

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