1121 PROSPECTIVE, MULTI-CENTER 2 YEAR STUDY TO DETERMINE THE INFLUENCE OF HIGH-LEVEL DISINFECTION ALONE VERSUS ETHYLENE OXIDE STERILIZATION WITH HIGH-LEVEL DISINFECTION ON ENDOSCOPIC ULTRASOUND (EUS) IMAGING

Current guidelines suggest the use of high-level disinfection (HLD) for reprocessing gastrointestinal endoscopes. However, reports of transmission of resistant bacteria via contaminated endoscopes have raised concerns regarding efficacy of HLD. Ethylene oxide (ETO) gas sterilization is effective in eradicating microbes. There are no data regarding the effect of ETO on EUS imaging over time. In this study we aimed to compare the changes in EUS image quality associated with ETO sterilization versus HLD techniques.