Over the span of two days, the US Food and Drug Administration brought together an advisory committee of experts to discuss the current concerns about ethylene oxide (EtO) used to sterilize medical devices. While the experts want more data on the actual public health risk from the use of EtO, they caution that banning the sterilant could lead to even more harm due to device shortages.
Podcast: US FDA Experts Caution Against Banning EtO, Encourage More Duodenoscope Training
Health-care experts are concerned about the potential public risk posed by ethylene oxide emissions but said banning the sterilizing agent without a backup plan is likely to have devastating effects. Recently recorded deaths due to duodenoscope infections has been concerning, but the experts put the blame on inadequate cleaning of the device by staff members rather than on the device itself. The solution, they find, is a better trained workforce.
