Is peracetic acid suitable for the cleaning step of reprocessing flexible endoscopes?

Table 1 Typical sequence of steps for manual and automatic reprocessing of flexible endoscopes including the typical duration of the various cleaning steps

Manual processing	Automatic processing
Pre-cleaning the outer surface with a detergent-soaked single-use gauze and rinsing all channels with the cleaning agent, usually for 2 min
Brush-cleaning all accessible channels with a suitable brush, usually for 3 min
	Rinsing
Chemical cleaning; filling all channels with the cleaning agent, allowing the cleaning agents to persist inside the channel for approximately 5 min
Rinsing, usually for 1 min
Disinfection
Final rinsing
Drying