Mitigating the Risk of Cross-Contamination From Valves and Accessories Used for Irrigation Through Flexible Gastrointestinal Endoscopes; Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff; Availability

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is announcing the availability of the guidance entitled ``Mitigating the Risk of Cross-Contamination From Valves and Accessories Used for Irrigation Through Flexible Gastrointestinal Endoscopes.'' Flexible gastrointestinal endoscopes and accessories are class II devices and identified with product codes such as FDF, FDS, and OCX. When using these devices during an entire day of procedures (e.g., colonoscopies), clinicians typically use one irrigation system (i.e., one water bottle, one set of tubing and valves, etc.) without cleaning and sterilizing all the system components between patients. This guidance highlights the cross-contamination risk associated with day-use of irrigation systems used with flexible gastrointestinal endoscopes; clarifies terminology used to describe these devices; and outlines strategies to mitigate the risk of cross-contamination between patients during these procedures.