The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE; Oak Brook, Illinois) wants to reassure patients that gastrointestinal endoscopy is a safe and effective procedure. The recent news that patients at an endoscopy center in Nevada may have been infected with hepatitis C that could have been spread when clinic staff used unsafe injection practices related to the administration of anesthesia medication shines the spotlight on the importance of infection control practices. This incident should not deter patients from undergoing any endoscopic procedure, as infections such as this occur rarely.

“It is important to realize that the exposures did not result from the procedure itself but from the use of unsafe injection practices related to the medication administration. Endoscopy, when practiced by expertly trained physicians who follow the practice guidelines set forth by the ASGE, is a safe, well-tolerated and potentially life-saving procedure,” said Grace Elta, MD, president of the ASGE.