Cleaning & Infection Control

Infection control is the responsibility of all of us on the critical care unit. It is vital that infection control measures are followed to keep our patients safe and prevent transmission of infections via staff or the ultrasound equipment.

 

Key Points

  • Limit training scans on highly infectious patients to reduce risk of transmission
  • Single use gel sachets only – please remove and do not use large bottles of non-sterile ultrasound jelly.
  • Sterile probe covers must be used for all procedures, including peripheral venous cannulation. If probes are contaminated wiht blood or infectious bodily fluids they require higher level disinfection which is costly and removes the machines from patient use during cleaning.
  • Use only  red 70% alcohol wipes  (Sanicloth® or red Mediplus ®) to clean the machines. Use of other products such as chlorhexidine can damage the equipments
  • Please label with a completed green Clinell sticker when cleaning is complete.
  • Store only essential equipment on the ultrasound machines:
    • Single use gel sachets
    • Red 70% alcohol wipes  (Sanicloth® or red Mediplus ®)
    • Green Clinell® stickers
    • Sterile probe covers
  • For specific instructions on cleaning the machines use the step-by-step guide below.

 

Step by Step Instructions

  1. Do one of the following:
    1. Turn off the system by pressing the Power button and unplug the power cord from the outlet.
    2. On the Sonosite – Tap Enter Cleaning Mode on the touch panel or from the system menu to freeze the controls (To exit cleaning mode, press the 2D button for two seconds.)
  2. Remove transducer cover, gel / visible soiled material from transducer.
  3. Visually inspect the transducer, cable and machine. Report any signs of damage and remove affected piece of equipment if required
  4. Clean using 70% alcohol wipes ONLY  (Sanicloth® or red Mediplus ®).
  5. Gently wipe the TRANSDUCER with a cleaning wipe from the cable strain relief to the distal end:
    1. Hold the TRANSDUCER at the proximal end near the strain relief cable. DO NOT suspend or hold the probe by the cable as this may damage the probe.
    2. Gently wipe the probe’s lens, paying special attention to lens, edges, and groves.
    3. Turn the probe and continue wiping until the entire surface of the probe has been cleaned.
    4. As the wipe becomes visibly soiled, discard the wipe into clinical trash and dispense fresh wipes as needed.
    5. Wrap a clean wipe around a soft nylon bristle brush to access crevasses, such as biopsy notches, on the surface of the probe.
    6. Make sure that the connector and at least 12 inches (31 cm) of the connecting cable remain out of the fluid.
  6. Visually inspect the probe for any remaining soil and, if necessary, repeat step 6 until the probe is visibly clean.
  7. Clean the exterior surfaces of the ULTRASOUND SYSTEM to remove any debris using pre-moistened 70% alcohol wipes.
  8. Allow the ultrasound system, stand, and transducer to air dry in a clean, well-ventilated space. If the cleaner leaves a residue on the system’s surfaces, wipe with distilled water or a clean, dry cloth.