Laurel, MD — Cleaning and low-level disinfection (LLD) effective against bloodborne pathogens are safe and sufficient procedures for disinfecting ultrasound transducers used in percutaneous procedures, according to an intersocietal position statement issued by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM), a healthcare professional organization dedicated to advancing the safe and effective use of medical ultrasound.1

Appearing in the peer-reviewed Journal of Ultrasound Medicine, the statement was issued to clear up confusion over disinfection practices and ensure that ultrasound equipment remains both safe and available. Originally published in February 2021, the statement was recently republished with the support of 20 healthcare organizations, together representing more than 790,000 physicians, nurses, infection control professionals, and other healthcare professionals.

“Our hope is that having the support of so many organizations will encourage the widespread adoption of appropriate disinfection practices in clinical and professional settings, bringing significant benefits to patients,” says AIUM CEO Glynis Harvey, CAE.

Debate Over Disinfection Practices
The position statement was developed to address a growing debate over disinfection practices among practitioners in a wide range of medical specialties, explains Oliver Kripfgans, PhD, a medical ultrasound physicist and research associate professor at the University of Michigan who spearheaded development of the statement.

In many advanced medical procedures, ultrasound is a valuable tool for guiding needles, catheters, and other devices that are inserted through the skin. Such percutaneous procedures include vascular access, arthrocentesis, paracentesis, pericardiocentesis, thoracentesis, lumbar puncture, and the delivery of regional anesthesia.

The current debate stems from confusion over how ultrasound transducers should be disinfected between such procedures. Some practitioners have supported the use of high-level disinfection (HLD) techniques, which typically involve placing transducers in an apparatus that exposes them to specialized disinfecting chemicals such as glutaraldehyde or a mist of hydrogen peroxide. Many hospitals and infection control staff have gone along with such recommendations because of infection concerns during the pandemic, thinking that HLD would provide an extra margin of safety.

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