Phenelle Segal Featured in Infection Control Today Column on Risk Mitigation

Infection Control Consulting Services President Phenelle Segal is featured in an article by Infection Control Today on risk mitigation.

The column outlines several incidents over the past few years where patients were exposed— and in some cases infected — to the superbug carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) most likely due to contaminated duodenoscopes used in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures. The piece then discusses how a healthcare institution should proactively respond when it faces a scenario of patient harm or a system breakdown.

Segal, whose firm provides a wide range of infection control services including development of comprehensive customized infection prevention programs, risk assessments, outbreak investigations and corrective plans of action, provides insight and guidance on a number of areas in the column, including the following:

"Regardless of how skilled the reprocessing technicians are, there should be a trained observer taking note of the process during each scope cleaning — particularly in the instance of duodenoscopes."

To read the ICT column, click here.