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Title: |
Acute Glutaraldehyde Mucosal Injury of the Upper Aerodigestive
Tract Due to Damage to the Working Channel of an Endoscope |
| Authors: |
Priya D. Krishna, MD, MS; Melissa McCarty Statham, MD; Clark A. Rosen, MD |
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Objectives: Glutaraldehyde (Cidex) is a commonly used agent for cold sterilization of endoscopes despite its known irritative,
allergic, and carcinogenic potential. This report details the clinical course of 2 patients who suffered acute glutaraldehyde
exposure during office injection procedures.
Methods: Clinical records of 2 outpatients undergoing office injection procedures were reviewed. One patient underwent
bilateral injections of hydroxyapatite, and 1 underwent voice gel injection.
Results: Both patients developed acute mucosal injury in the form of supraglottitis and laryngitis. Both patients required
inpatient admission with airway monitoring (1 requiring admission to the intensive care unit) and were treated with steroids
and antibiotics. The same channel endoscope was used for both procedures and was noted after careful examination
to have retained glutaraldehyde inside the scope due to a perforation of the lining of the working channel.
Conclusions: Glutaraldehyde can cause acute mucosal injury to supraglottic and glottic structures, and diligent procedures
must be maintained for flushing the channels and monitoring glutaraldehyde retention in the channels. Great care
should be taken to avoid damage to the lining of working channels from instrumentation. (Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2010;119:150-154.) |
| Keywords: |
disinfection, flexible endoscopy, glutaraldehyde, mucosal injury |
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