Testing duodenoscopes for multidrug-resistant organisms where they were used can minimize the risk of patient-to-patient transmission.

It’s also a way to optimize resource utilization.

That’s the conclusion drawn by researchers from the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Mayo Clinic. The findings were presented in a poster at ACG 2022 in October.

The study aimed to assess the “feasibility, implementation, and impact of a systematic testing protocol among patients undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatoscopy (ERCP) to detect multidrug resistant organism (MDRO) colonization as a guide to subsequent duodenoscope reprocessing.”

“The implementation of a point-of-care testing model was efficient, feasible, and may help optimize resource utilization while minimizing the risk of inter-patient pathogen transmission in facilities with moderate to high rates of MDRO carriage,” the poster reads.

The review included patients who underwent MDRO testing at the time of their ERCP procedure between January 2018 and May 2022. Of the 557 identified patients, only one tested positive. Two tests were incorrectly processed and 554 were deemed negative.

The authors call the rate of colonization (0.2 percent) low and say it is similar to other studies involving ERCP patients, including those who underwent point-of-care testing.

“Implementation of a point-of-care testing was efficient and feasible in both a tertiary care and community setting,” the poster says.