SAGES Magazine

THE SOUTH AFRICAN GASTROENTEROLOGY REVIEW 2022 | VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 3 | 69 ERCP | A GUIDE FOR NURSES AND ASSISTANTS | Re-printed with permission AC KNOWL E DG EME N T S I am very grateful to Andrea Perris from COOK Medical who has been a great help to our department over the last few years, particularly when supporting nursing staff and ODP’s during ERCP and EUS lists. Many of our staff have benefitted from going on courses which give the opportunity to learn and handle the equipment used. I cannot over-emphasise the importance of practice and familiarity with the equipment; the last place you want to find gaps in your knowledge is when caught at the sticky end of an ERCP which is not going as planned! We are going to have more courses aimed at nursing staff so keep an eye out for them if you are interested. The future of ERCP is exciting. In the UK we are several years behind compared to Europe where ERCP and EUS techniques have evolved faster and are increasingly used together. This is made easier by the use of Propofol as sedation, and this too is hopefully on the cards for us. Cholangioscopy and EHL is an exciting development, and once advanced therapeutic endoscopy becomes the norm for a department, new developments become easier, particularly with an enthusiastic and interested team which includes executives, managers, operators and assistants. Learning ERCP, both as an operator and an assistant, is a commitment. It takes about 4 years for a doctor to become proficient in ERCP, and I am still learning after 20! It’s reasonable to say that commitment to assisting ERCP is also necessary, but also not for everyone. If you are interested in learning all the skills necessary, please stick with it. This book is meant for you. Marek Czajkowski Newport, February 2020 4 3