[Endoscopes in urology: disinfection, sterilization, labeling and tracking. Circulars and decrees. Modes of application and commentary. The Committee of Infectious Diseases of the French Association of Urology. Congressional forum UFA--Paris, November 1996. DGS Circular 20 October 1997].

Administrative texts published in 1995, 1996 and 1997, have reinforced materiovigilance and impose disinfection precautions for endoscopes. The steps of disinfection of non-sterilizable endoscopes are: preliminary treatment, rinsing, actual disinfection, final rinsing, storage (see: Progrès en Urologie, 1997, 7, 505-507). Each procedure from collection of the endoscope until storage must be defined by written standard operating procedures validated by CLIN. The risk of transmission of Creutzfeld-Jakob disease requires autoclaving, which is only possible, at the present time, with the most recent rigid endoscopes. Until disinfection has become generalized, the traceability of endoscopes (labelling, utilization files) must be established on the model recommended for haemovigilance (circular of 02/04/96).