Safety Concerns Associated to Microbial Infections in Therapeutic Ultrasound

Abstract

Therapeutic ultrasound is commonly used in physiotherapy healthcare for treating any sort of pain and stimulating tissue repair. Ultrasounds are sound waves with high frequency that are produced by a transducer which imparts certain effects on the human body. It is commonly used for treating subjects with the following conditions: carpel tunnel syndrome, frozen shoulder, tendonitis, ligament injuries, joint tightness, etc. The device and the gel used for the treatment might act as fomite as they are in direct contact with the patient skin, possibly acting as a source of microbial contamination. The transducer head and the gel should be handled cautiously in order to avoid cross contamination. There is a lack of literature reporting the safety concerns related to transmission of infections to the subject during the course of ultrasound therapy. This article fundamentally provides an outline about the possibilities of cross contamination among the patients undergoing therapeutic Ultrasound