Infectious complications associated with gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Infectious complications resulting from endoscopy rarely occur. This is probably due as much to the efficiency of the gastrointestinal immune system as to effective endoscope disinfection practices. The low incidence may also represent the difficulty linking infections to endoscopy. Recent reports of probable interpersonal transmission of hepatitis C infection during colonoscopy has heightened this concern. This article examines the documented cases of endoscopy related infections and reviews the risk factors for these infections and details guidelines which have been designed to keep the incidence of these complications low.