UV-C decontamination
Case study: addressing persistent contamination in an endoscopy environment Between 2017 and 2022, repeated detections of Chryseobacterium spp. were identified in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples from patients undergoing bronchoscopy at Gentofte Hospital, Denmark. Chryseobacterium spp. is an environmental bacterium, and the findings were linked to contamination of bronchoscopes, despite adherence to established reprocessing protocols. The infection prevention and control assessment was conducted in collaboration with the Department of Clinical Microbiology at Gentofte Hospital to investigate potential sources of recontamination within the clinical environment. While initial investigations focused on the bronchoscopes themselves, further assessment highlighted the surrounding environment as a potential contributing factor.
Environmental testing and source identification As part of the IPC assessment overseen by Dr. Olesen and her team, environmental sampling was undertaken to identify potential reservoirs of contamination. Swab samples were collected from drains in the sinks used for manual cleaning of bronchoscopes. These samples demonstrated growth of Chryseobacterium spp., with particularly consistent findings in one of the sink drains.
Identifying the same organism in both patient samples and the drain environment shifted the focus of the investigation from the bronchoscopes alone to the surrounding infrastructure. This finding highlighted the potential role of water systems as a persistent environmental reservoir capable of recontaminating the clinical environment.
Conventional control measures and limitations Initial preventive measures focused on conventional approaches to drain decontamination. This included regular flushing of the affected drains with boiling water as an immediate control intervention. While aligned with standard infection control practice, this approach did not provide a sustained solution. Subsequent environmental sampling continued to demonstrate the presence of Chryseobacterium spp. within the drain system, indicating that the contamination was associated with an established biofilm rather than transient surface contamination.
Targeted intervention and outcome As a more permanent intervention, a UV-C based solution was installed within the drain of the affected sink in October 2022. Following installation, the practice of daily flushing with boiling water was discontinued. Since installation of the UV-C based drain solution in
Installation of a UV-C based drain solution beneath the clinical sink used for manual cleaning of bronchoscopes.
October 2022, no cases of Chryseobacterium spp. have been detected in patients in the department during more than three years of follow-up. This case demonstrates how hidden
environmental reservoirs, such as drains and water traps, may play a previously under- recognised role in persistent contamination challenges and how targeted interventions addressing these reservoirs may complement established endoscope reprocessing and infection prevention strategies.
Clinical sink environment used during manual endoscope cleaning, where drainage systems may act as persistent environmental reservoirs.
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www.clinicalservicesjournal.com I April 2026
Clinical perspective Reflecting on the investigation she oversaw at Gentofte Hospital, Bente Olesen, Consultant in Clinical Microbiology (MD, DMSc & PhD), Chair of the Hygiene Committee at North Zealand Hospital and Chair of the Danish Society for Infection Prevention, emphasises the importance of broadening the investigative focus beyond the endoscopes themselves: “Despite adherence to established reprocessing protocols, we continued to see contamination events, which prompted us to look beyond the endoscopes themselves and examine the surrounding environment.” Reflecting on the investigative process, she adds: “Sampling from the drains proved critical in understanding the source of contamination. Identifying the same organism in the drain environment shifted our focus from the endoscopes alone to the surrounding infrastructure.” Regarding the limitations of conventional measures, Dr. Olesen explains: “We initially
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