Study finds high rates of infection after colonoscopy, OGD performed in ASCs

Editor's Note

Rates of infection after colonoscopies and osophagogastroduodenoscopies (OGDs) performed in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are higher than previously thought and vary widely by facility, this study from Johns Hopkins finds.

Rates of postendoscopic infection per 1,000 procedures within 7 days were:

• 1.1 for screening colonoscopy
• 1.6 for nonscreening colonoscopy
• 3.0 for OGD.

Rates of infection by ASC ranged from 0 to 115 per 1,000 procedures for screening colonoscopy, 0 to 132 for nonscreening colonoscopy, and 0 to 62 for OGD.

Postendoscopic infection rates were previously thought to be around 1 in 1 million, the authors say.