CHRISP was notified that HEPA drying and storage cabinets were being purchased by Queensland Health facilities with a view to using them as an alternative to the requirement of the GESA/GENCA guidelines that all flexible endoscopes be reprocessed before use, on the day of use.

After reviewing the literature and the manufacturer’s evidence to support their claims the cabinets could be used in this manner, CHRISP concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support this claim.

CHRISP contacted HSP&L and Materials Managers and indicated that the HEPA drying and storage cabinets should not be purchased by facilities with a view to using them in contravention of the GESA/GENCA guidelines.

GENCA was informed of CHRISP’s view and facilitated a trial in the Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) Endoscopy Unit to microbiologically compare flexible endoscopes stored in a HEPA cabinet with those stored as usual in drying cupboards.

Preliminary results of this trial and another similar trial reported in J.GENCA, informed an editorial in J.GENCA about the use of HEPA cabinets.

Preliminary results of the PAH trial were presented to a meeting of the Infection Control Expert Advisory Group (ICEAG) which was attended by a GENCA representative and in light of those results there was agreement that gastroscopes and colonoscopes did not have to be reprocessed before use, on the day of use, if they had been reprocessed within the last 72 hours, as long as they were reprocessed and stored appropriately.