Question

The respiratory therapist has just assisted the pulmonologist with a bedside fiberoptic bronchoscopy procedure in the ICU. In order to clean and disinfect the bronchoscope, the therapist should __________.

1) rinse with sterile water and steam autoclave for 15 minutes.
2) wipe with Betadine and pasteurize for 30 minutes.
3) sterilize with ethylene oxide.
4) soak in alkaline glutaraldehyde for 10 hours.

Answer 1

The respiratory therapist should clean and disinfect the bronchoscope by soaking it in alkaline glutaraldehyde, following the latest disinfection guidelines and manufacturers' recommendations.

Step-by-step explanation:

To clean and disinfect the bronchoscope after assisting in a bedside fiberoptic bronchoscopy procedure in the ICU, the respiratory therapist should follow proper disinfection protocols. According to the information provided, the standard disinfection procedure involves cleaning and soaking instruments in a strong basic solution. While no specific option from the ones listed matches this protocol exactly, the closest would be to soak in alkaline glutaraldehyde for the required time to ensure thorough disinfection. This process is commonly used for high-level disinfection of flexible fiberoptic endoscopes to eradicate all microorganisms, except for a high number of bacterial spores. It's important to always follow the latest guidelines and recommendations from health authorities and manufacturers of the equipment.