Differences in organizational impact, performance and quality related to the use of single- and/or reusable bronchoscopes in anesthesiology and resuscitation

Introduction: The use of fibrobronchoscopy increased significantly for collecting airway microbiological samples and during percutaneous tracheostomies and difficult intubations. Reusable bronchoscopes pose risks of contamination and damage due to their fragile structure and difficulties of cleaning and sterilization; single-use bronchoscopes have been introduced, offering reliability in terms of vision, maneuverability, suctioning capacity, and sterility, reducing the risk of hospital-acquired infections and improving logistical management. Methods: The study analyzed healthcare workers' and management's perceptions of single-use bronchoscopes versus reusable ones. Among the main objectives were to evaluate the organizational impact, quality, and performance of bronchoscopes, while also analyzing opinions on device features, safety in infection prevention, and ease of use during training. Results: In this analysis 66% of clinicians rated optimal image quality, and 90% of respondents highly appreciated the "plug & play" feature of disposable endoscopes; also, 45% of clinicians noted no significant differences in aspiration performance. Healthcare professionals felt more exposed to infectious agents with reusable endoscopes, believing disposable endoscopes required less vigilance and monitoring. In training, 80% of doctors and 100% of nurses considered disposable endoscopes more suitable due to their greater ease of use. Finally, the Overall Satisfaction of all healthcare workers was 75%. Conclusion: The analysis of results demonstrated that the use of single-use bronchoscopes in anesthesia and resuscitation is highly comparable in terms of clinical effectiveness to reusable ones and that significant advantages in costs and organizational impact were highlighted, positively impacting the daily workflow of healthcare workers.