Infection prevention and ultrasound probe decontamination practices in Europe: a survey of the European Society of Radiology
Autor: | Christiane M. Nyhsen, Gerhard Mostbeck, Michel Claudon, Hilary Humphreys, Carlos Nicolau |
---|---|
Rok vydání: | 2016 |
Předmět: |
medicine.medical_specialty
Infection prevention and control Survey result 030501 epidemiology 030218 nuclear medicine & medical imaging 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine Ultrasound probe Ultrasound Medicine Infection control Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging Medical physics Decontamination Neuroradiology Response rate (survey) Interventional Ultrasound medicine.diagnostic_test business.industry Patient contact Interventional radiology Disinfection Original Article Radiology 0305 other medical science business Gels |
Zdroj: | Insights into Imaging |
ISSN: | 1869-4101 |
Popis: | Objectives Although ultrasound (US) is considered one of the safest imaging modalities, concerns have been raised regarding potential infection transmission risks through US procedures. A survey was undertaken by the European Society of Radiology (ESR) to establish infection prevention and control measures in US and to highlight the importance of good medical practice. Methods An online survey was sent to all 22,000 full ESR members. Results The response rate of completed surveys was 4.3 % (946 practitioners, 97 % of which were radiologists, mostly working in larger hospital settings). Among respondents, 29 %, 11 % and 6 % did not disinfect the US probe after every patient when performing standard surface US, endo-cavity US and interventional procedures, respectively. Eleven percent did not always use probe covers for endo-cavity US; for interventional procedures, the proportion was 23 %. A minority used sterile gel sachets in direct patient contact for endo-cavity scans (30 %), and 77.5 % used sterile gel for interventional procedures. Conclusions The survey results highlight a wide range of practices throughout Europe and the need to raise awareness amongst practitioners regarding the importance of infection prevention and control measures. The development of European recommendations encompassing all US examinations, together with education is a priority. Main Messages • Transmission of infection through ultrasound procedures is possible. • There is a wide range of ultrasound probe decontamination practices in Europe. • Not all practitioners use probe covers for endo-cavity or interventional ultrasound. • Not all practitioners use sterile gel for internal and invasive procedures. • Currently there are no European recommendations encompassing all US examinations. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13244-016-0528-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
Externí odkaz: |