Serious Infections Linked to Contaminated Olympus Medical Scopes
Every year, millions of Americans undergo routine medical procedures using reusable scopes like endoscopes and duodenoscopes. These tools are meant to help diagnose and treat, but when they’re not truly sterile, they can expose patients to dangerous, life-threatening infections. The Bryant Law Center is now investigating cases involving serious infections and complications potentially connected to Olympus medical devices.
Olympus is one of the largest manufacturers of medical endoscopes and duodenoscopes used in hospitals and surgical centers across the United States. These devices are routinely used in procedures such as colonoscopies, upper endoscopies, bronchoscopies, and ERCPs. However, concerns involving Olympus medical scopes have come under national scrutiny after reports that certain devices may retain dangerous bacteria even after standard cleaning and sterilization procedures.
What You Need to Know:
Medical scopes are designed to be reused between patients. After each procedure, they undergo a process called “reprocessing,” which includes cleaning and high-level disinfection. However, studies and regulatory warnings have shown that some Olympus scope designs may contain hard-to-clean internal channels and components, which can allow bacteria and biological material to remain trapped, even after proper sterilization procedures are followed.
When this happens, contaminated devices may expose patients to serious infections during routine medical care.
In January 2025, Olympus issued a voluntary recall of a specific endoscope accessory due to infection risks linked to patient injuries, and at least one reported death. This follows years of ongoing safety concerns raised by medical professionals and federal regulators regarding the limitations of scope reprocessing.
Reported complications include:
- Sepsis
- Bloodstream infections
- Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE)
- E. coli infections
- Organ failure
- Hospitalization
- Wrongful death
How Common Are These Procedures?
- 17–20 million colonoscopies each year
- 5–10 million upper endoscopies
- 1.5 million bronchoscopies
- 500,000–700,000 ERCP procedures