Speakers - 2027

Title: Infection prevention in interventional radiology: From sterile technique to clinical practice

Abstract

Background: Interventional radiology (IR) has become a fundamental component of modern clinical care, providing minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures across vascular, oncologic, hepatobiliary, urinary, gastrointestinal, and other clinical pathways. Despite the minimally invasive nature of many IR procedures, infection remains an important patient-safety concern because procedures frequently breach natural barriers, involve vascular or nonvascular devices, and are performed in patients who may be immunocompromised, critically ill, or already affected by infection. Infection prevention in IR therefore extends beyond hand hygiene and sterile technique and requires integration into the entire procedural workflow.

Objective: To provide a practical, clinically oriented framework for infection prevention in IR, focusing on how evidence-based infection-prevention principles can be translated into routine procedural practice.

Content: This presentation will explore infection prevention across the complete IR patient journey, from pre- procedure assessment and patient preparation to sterile field creation, procedural performance, device management, and post-procedure care. Particular emphasis will be placed on surgical hand preparation, appropriate gowning and sterile gloving, maintenance of the sterile field, skin antisepsis, ultrasound-guided procedures, vascular access, management of biliary and urinary interventions, injection safety, environmental and equipment disinfection, sharps safety, and transmission-based precautions.

Clinical scenarios will be used to demonstrate common infection-prevention challenges encountered in daily IR practice, including contamination of sterile fields, ultrasound probe handling, management of indwelling devices, procedures involving potentially infected or colonized systems, and care of patients at increased risk of infection. The presentation will also address the appropriate role of antimicrobial prophylaxis, emphasizing that antibiotic use should complement-not substitute for-effective aseptic technique and appropriate source control.

Conclusion: Effective infection prevention in IR is a multidisciplinary clinical practice rather than a standalone infection-control activity. Reliable hand hygiene, sterile technique, appropriate device management, environmental controls, clinical risk assessment, antimicrobial stewardship, and effective team communication must function as an integrated system. By translating infection-prevention principles into practical IR workflows, procedural teams can reduce avoidable infection risks while maintaining efficient, high-quality patient care.