Septicaemia inquest triggers MHRA laryngoscope decontamination alert

All models and manufacturers of reusable laryngoscope handles are the subject of a UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) alert reminding healthcare and reprocessing staff to decontaminate these devices appropriately. The MHRA alert is in response to a coroner’s inquest, which found that a patient had died from septicaemia caused specifically by a failure to appropriately decontaminate the laryngoscope handle, resulting in cross-infection. Local decontamination procedures are to be reviewed and, if necessary, updated to ensure that decontamination is performed appropriately between patients and in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.