US probes: risk of cross infection and ways to reduce it--comparison of cleaning methods.

Abstract

After their use at ultrasonography (US) in the intensive therapy unit, probes were used to directly inoculate blood agar plates before and after various cleaning procedures. The uncleaned probes transmitted large numbers of clinically important microbes. Simple cleaning methods were effective in reducing transmission among certain patients: fit patients, double paper wipe; patients at risk of contracting infection, single paper wipe followed by alcohol wipe; patients with a potential source of infection, single paper wipe followed by alcohol wipe.