Infection Control & Cleaning Medical Devices-MRSA & Bloodborne Pathogens and more

I just read an interesting article on Preventing Infection in MRI, particularly Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA). Since 1991, I realized that bloodborne pathogens are a serious problem for radiologic equipment, both to the patient and to the health care workers who come into contact with this contaminated equipment. Hepatitis and other bloodborne pathogens can live for days, and requires 45 minutes of wet immersion contact and rinsing with sterile water to be effective. Needless to say this is not possible for most surfaces. Patients or healthcare workers who have breached skin can be infected from contaminated surfaces. MQSA states that it is theoretically possible to cross contaminate from patient to patient or to healthcare worker bloodborne pathogens such as HIV, Hepatitis, etc. and that necessary infection procedures be implement.

The problem is that it can't be implemented because you can't immerse most x-ray devices. I concluded that nonporous barriers are best, and they require FDA 510 Clearance because they come under the beam. However, very little has been done to bring departments up to code. I think it is up to us to protect patients and ourselves from becoming infected with MRSA and other bloodborne pathogens. For instance, if you bite your cuticles as a habit, have dermatitis, or shave your skin..you can be a host for MRSA and bloodborne pathogens from contaminated medical devices. I think this is a very serious problem. Please see http:www.patientcomfortsystems.com/MRI_infection_control_white_paper.pdf