June 26, 2018 – Avoiding Infection

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Anchor lead: What can you do to avoid infections after colonoscopy? Elizabeth Tracey reports

About one in a thousand people may experience infection after colonoscopy at an ambulatory surgery center, a study by Susan Hutfless, a gastroenterology researcher at Johns Hopkins and colleagues has shown. The rate is higher if the test is being done to make a diagnosis rather than for screening, but the highest rate is among one specific group.

Hutfless: Predictors of post-endoscopic infections included a recent history of hospitalization or an endoscopic procedure, so individuals who’ve recently been in the hospital may be motivated to catch up on some of the screening that they may have missed. Although that seems like a good idea it’s probably best to give your body time to heal from that hospitalization, or other endoscopic procedure, and wait to schedule your screening colonscopy, EGD, or diagnostic colonoscopy.  :32

Hutfless says high volume centers have lower infection rates. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.