Patient infections related to endoscopic procedures have been repeatedly reported in recent years. This has led to ongoing debates whether the current practice of cleaning and disinfection of semi-critical thermolabile endoscopes is sufficient for eliminating the high microbial load after use of the devices.

The authors of the letter to the editor comment on the following publication: “False positive results of Bowie and Dick type test used for hospital steam sterilizer with slower come-up ramps: A case study”.
The objective of the mentioned article was to determine if the standardized Bowie and Dick (B&D) type test for hospital steam sterilizers is correctly indicating cycle failures in slower come-up ramps cycles.
That scarcity has given rise to initiatives, attempts and experiments aimed at reprocessing single-use medical devices.
The protocols and recommendations we have seen emerge in this race against time could not of course meet the standards.