Health care facilities using the Steris System 1 processor to sterilize endoscopes, bronchoscopes and other medical devices should transition to legally marketed alternatives within 18 months, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended last month. That's an extension of the three- to six-month timeframe the agency recommended in December, which had prompted concerns from hospitals and led the American Hospital Association and Federation of American Hospitals to meet with the FDA to urge reconsideration of the timeline.

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