Regular ultrasound gel bottle may not be sterile and individual packets are costly so hand sanitizer was tried with success.
Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2016 Sep-Oct;41(5):655-6. doi: 0.1097/AAP.0000000000000435.
Hand Sanitizer as an Alternative to Ultrasound Transmission Gel.
Sutton E(1), Bullock WM, Khan T, Eng M, Gadsden J.
no abstract
- “a 63% vol/vol isopropyl alcohol (Steris Cal Stat Plus; Steris Corporation, Mentor, Ohio) or 62% ethyl alcohol (Steris Alcare Plus; Steris Corporation) solution produces an equivalent ultrasound image when compared with traditional gels.”
- much cheaper
- They also covered the ultrasound transducer with a transparent film and cleaned the ultrasound probe and cable with germicidal wipes after every use.
- They kept the gel away from the actual puncture sites by wiping it away from there.
Comment – thank you for a simple answer to this issue. This obviated need for alcohol swabs and it often dried itself off rather than needing to be wiped off.