CDC Alert: Use Only Sterile Ultrasound Gel for Percutaneous Procedures

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) alerted healthcare facilities about non-sterile ultrasound gel products — MediChoice® [lots: 240302 and 240306] and ClearImage® [lots: 230221, 230256, 240227, and 240230] — contaminated with an environmental bacterium, Paraburkholderia fungorum. The CDC confirmed 40 cases of P. fungorum in patients who were exposed to contaminated non-sterile ultrasound gel products in four states.

The agency urges healthcare providers to ensure patient safety by only using single-use ultrasound gels that are labeled “sterile” before and during percutaneous procedures. The full alert and more information is on the CDC website.