Quantitative assessment of environmental blood contamination in interventional radiology operating rooms: A
Xuewei Du1, Huiqing Guo1, Yun Chen2
1Department of Public Health, The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China.
American Journal of Infection Control
|June 27, 2026
Summary
Environmental blood contamination is common in interventional radiology operating rooms, especially on operating tables. This highlights the need for targeted cleaning strategies to enhance patient safety and reduce infection risks.
Area of Science:
- Medical Microbiology
- Infection Control
- Radiology
Background:
- Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) pose a significant patient safety risk.
- Contaminated surfaces in healthcare settings act as pathogen vectors.
- Interventional radiology (IR) operating rooms (ORs) are high-risk environments for blood exposure, yet data on surface contamination are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively assess environmental blood contamination in IR ORs.
- To identify patterns and hotspots of blood contamination.
- To inform targeted cleaning and prevention strategies.
Main Methods:
- A quantitative occult blood detection method (HGBTEST® WIPES with AI-based image analysis) was employed.
- Hemoglobin residues were measured at 142 sites across four IR ORs.
- Sampling included operating tables, C-arms, and other surfaces, with contamination graded by quartiles.
Main Results:
- Widespread environmental blood contamination was detected (median: 62.21 μg/cm²).
- Operating tables exhibited the highest contamination levels (median: 71.19 μg/cm²).
- C-arms and other surfaces also showed significant contamination.
Conclusions:
- The study reveals distinct patterns of blood contamination in IR ORs.
- A Pareto distribution suggests optimized resource allocation via targeted cleaning.
- Proposed contamination pathways necessitate differentiated prevention strategies to improve environmental quality and patient safety.
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