FDA panel to discuss endoscope "superbug" spread

Last Updated: 2015-03-12

By Reuters Staff

(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said an advisory panel will discuss the transmission of "superbug" infections through certain procedures in U.S. hospitals.

A second top Los Angeles hospital reported an outbreak of drug-resistant infections last week, and dozens more potential exposures, from procedures performed with duodenoscopes.

The gastroenterology and urology devices panel would meet on May 14-15, FDA said on Thursday. (http://1.usa.gov/1D9SY1q)

A top FDA official said earlier this month that manufacturers' tests of procedures to clean medical scopes contained flaws that render their cleaning instructions unreliable.

Duodenoscopes have been associated with episodic infections for more than a decade. But an increasing number of germs have developed a resistance to antibiotics, making them potentially more dangerous and difficult to treat.

The regulator issued an updated safety alert for duodenoscopes last week, urging medical providers to inform patients of the risks associated with the use of such instruments.