Researchers Say Commonly Used Endoscope Risk Estimate Inaccurate, Outdated
The widely cited risk estimate for medical endoscope safety, which states that there is a one in 1.8 million risk of getting a serious infection from an endoscope, is "inaccurate, outdated, based on flawed methodology and can have profound effects on patients," according to an article published in the American Journal of Infection Control. The researchers looked into the origin of the statistic and found mathematical errors in the 1993 committee's calculations. They also found the endoscopy society's committee had only included the number of incidents written in medical journals, which greatly underestimated the risk.
- "Statistic on Safety of Medical Scopes 'Inaccurate, Outdated,' Researchers Say" (Peterson, Los Angeles Times, 8/4).