Decontamination of reusable medical devices including ultrasound probes is important to prevent infection transmission. The number of ultrasound procedures is rapidly increasing and, according to Jon Burdach, PhD, head of clinical affairs at Nanosonics, the need to keep up-to-date on decontamination requirements may be challenging for some ultrasound users.
Ultrasound usage in the United Kingdom has increased in recent years with diagnostic ultrasound procedures in England rising from 7.7m in 2013 to 9.6m in 2018; an increase of over 25%.1
Many ultrasound probes are used on intact skin, non-intact skin or mucous membranes, or occasionally contact sterile tissue. This presents a complex challenge as contact with these various body sites requires different levels of disinfection (eg low level disinfection or high level disinfection), prior to probe use.
Procedures are now taking place in different hospital inpatient and outpatient departments by health professions who include sonographers, physicians, nurses, anaesthetists, interventional radiologists, OBGYNs, vascular surgeons, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. This has resulted in an increased use of surface probes for semi-critical and critical procedures such biopsies, cell retrieval, cannulation, catheterisation, injections, ablations, surgical, aspirations and drainages.
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