Resistant Klebsiella Pneumoniae Infections Linked to Flexible Intubation Endoscopes: Recommendations to Prevent Infections
This article investigates whether flexible intubation endoscopes have been associated with infections of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) or related multidrug-resistant bacteria.
While the investigation is limited to flexible intubation endoscopes, it may be useful when considering the risks associated with other types of endoscopes. Duodenoscopes in particular have been a deadly source of biofilms containing multidrug-resistant bacteria, including CRE. In 2017, a manufacturer linked a duodenoscope to a potentially untreatable infection (FDA reports #9610877-2017-00412, and 6753465). This time the K. pneumoniae species found on the duodenoscope contained the dangerous MCR-1 gene, conferring resistance to colistin—truly the last antibiotic available to treat multidrug-resistant bacteria.