Traces of 2 percent glutaraldehyde solution in the channels of an endoscope are thought to be the cause of an acute illness that mimicked the symptoms of ischemic colitis. The incident, likely triggered by the disinfectant, led to a two-day hospitalisation for a healthy 61-year-old woman who was initially seen for a routine screening colonoscopy, said Dr. Shailender Singh, of Mercy Catholic Medical Center, in Darby, Pennsylvania, United States. He presented the case here October 24 at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG).
Dr. Singh called the illness a “potentially avoidable complication,” and noted that his case report follows a recommendation just issued by the ACG that emphasizes all women should begin screening colonoscopy for colorectal cancer every 10 years, beginning at age 50. While the complication is relatively rare, considering the millions of people undergoing screening, the complication could nevertheless cause illness for large numbers of people even if just a fraction of patients are exposed to traces of the disinfectant.
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