How should endoscopes used on patients with infections be processed?

Endoscopes used on patients with infections must be marked and processed as high-risk items because they are capable of transmitting infections. This classification follows strict infection control protocols to ensure that any potential pathogens are effectively eliminated during the reprocessing stages. High-risk processing involves thorough cleaning, high-level disinfection, or sterilization, depending on the endoscope's intended use and the level of contamination.

Processing these endoscopes as high-risk items reflects the necessity for maintaining patient safety and preventing healthcare-associated infections. Such endoscopes may harbor infectious agents, hence requiring adherence to more stringent guidelines compared to those used on patients without infections. This ensures that all instruments are appropriately decontaminated and reduces the risk of cross-contamination with future patients.

The other options, such as disposal, low-risk processing, and normal cleaning, undermine these critical safety protocols and would not adequately address the infection risk involved when reprocessing endoscopes used on infected patients.