Antisepsis, Disinfection and Sterilization

Concurrent Education Session - 60 minutes

3204 - Is the Probe a Critical Device? Determining Ultrasound Probe and Puncture Site Contact Frequency in Invasive Procedures

Primary Speaker(s)

• 

  Ruth Carrico, PhD DNP APRN FSHEA CIC

  Associate Professor
  University of Louisville School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
  Louisville, Kentucky

  BD USA: Speaker/Honoraria; Nanosonics: Consultant/Advisory Board, Research Grant, Speaker/Honoraria; Pfizer: Advisory Committee/Board Member, Consultant/Advisory Board, Research Grant, Speaker/Honoraria; Sanofi pasteur: Consultant/Advisory Board, Research Grant, Speaker/Honoraria

Second Speaker(s)

• 

  Robert Garcia, BS, MT(ASCP, ASM), FAPIC, CIC

  Clinical Support Specialist - Healthcare Epidemiology
  Stony Brook University Hospital
  Stony Brook, New York

  Nothing to disclose

Moderator(s)

• 

  Crystal Heishman, MBA, MSN, RN, ONC, CIC, FAPIC

  Infection Preventionist
  University of Louisville Hospital
  Louisville, Kentucky

Ultrasound is used throughout healthcare departments to guide a variety of percutaneous interventions such as biopsies and injections. Federal guidelines from the FDA and CDC are based on the Spaulding criteria. Where medical devices contact or enter sterile tissue or the vascular system, these are classed as being critical devices and require sterilization, or a minimum of HLD with use of a sterile sheath. Some ultrasound probes may contact sterile tissue and therefore may be classified as critical devices.

A recent survey of IPs has revealed a variety of disinfection and use practices for ultrasound probes. This session will review the frequency of contact between the ultrasound probe, needle, and puncture site in a range of typical percutaneous procedures, revealing a high rate of contact. This suggests that these probes should be classified as critical devices in many cases. Such findings support a need for facilities to identify which departments are using ultrasound for interventions, and observe the procedures carried out by the range of end users to determine their Spaulding classification and appropriate level of reprocessing.

Tools developed by a group of IPs will be presented to help facilities survey and risk assess their practices and policies during these procedures to ensure patient safety.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss results from a national survey revealing wide ranging probe reprocessing and use practices for ultrasound guided invasive procedures.
• Review data revealing a high rate of contact between the probe and puncture site leading to a critical ultrasound probe classification in many cases.
• Describe how to use the tools developed by a group of infection preventionists to help their peers review facility practices and ultrasound infection prevention policy.