The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued an alert that requests healthcare facilities "arrange for a healthcare professional with expertise in device reprocessing to immediately assess their reprocessing procedures," adding, "(t)his assessment should ensure that reprocessing is done correctly, including allowing enough time for reprocessing personnel to follow all steps recommended by the device manufacturer." The agency also called for enhanced training, which should occur at least once a year and upon the hiring of new staff. The renewed emphasis on sterilization comes in the context of a safety scare resulting from improperly cleaned duodenoscopes that resulted in a string of deaths from hospital-acquired bacteria over several years. The FDA is working with the manufacturers on a redesign of the devices because they are difficult to clean, but the CDC's notice indicates other reusable devices need to be better cleaned as well. CDC notice | More