US probes: Risk of cross infection and ways to reduce it - Comparison of cleaning methods

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