Disinfection of Ultrasound Transducers Used for Percutaneous Procedures

Current guidelines from multiple clinical societies have endorsed the use of low-level disinfection (LLD) for transcutaneous ultrasound transducer cleaning and disinfection used for guidance of percutaneous procedures. Some organizations are not congruent regarding their recommendations for disinfection. 4–7 In some cases, guidelines that address endocavity transducers are being misapplied to percutaneous and vascular-access applications. The Spaulding classification is meant for intended uses, and some of the above guidelines reclassify intended non-critical applications as semicritical. Recommendations for high-level disinfection (HLD) of sheathed probes used for percutaneous procedures are not evidence-based and will result in unwarranted and unnecessary use of resources, increasing the possibility of safety events if percutaneous procedures are performed without ultrasound guidance. This statement addresses several specific points that we regard as pivotal for determining when the use of HLD or a different level is appropriate. Specifically: