Imaging Center Infection Prevention & Control Consulting
Reviewed by Phenelle Segal, RN, CIC, FAPIC — Founder, Infection Control Consulting Services (40+ years in infection prevention and control)
As diagnostic and interventional imaging volumes continue to shift from hospital radiology departments into freestanding outpatient centers, imaging centers face growing scrutiny over infection prevention practices that have historically received less attention than in surgical settings. ICCS has spent more than 40 years helping outpatient healthcare facilities build infection prevention programs that satisfy accreditation, licensure, and regulatory requirements and pass survey with confidence.
Why It Matters
Outpatient imaging is one of the fastest-growing segments of U.S. healthcare, spanning X-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound, mammography, nuclear medicine, and interventional radiology performed outside the hospital setting. As patient volume grows and procedures become more invasive, so do the opportunities for infection transmission.
Imaging centers that bill Medicare for the technical component of CT, MRI, PET, or nuclear medicine studies must be accredited by a CMS-approved organization — the American College of Radiology (ACR), the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC), The Joint Commission, or RadSite — under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA). X-ray, ultrasound, and fluoroscopy services are excluded from this federal accreditation mandate, while mammography facilities are separately regulated by the FDA under the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA). Many imaging centers are also subject to state licensure requirements that include infection prevention provisions.
Infection prevention in the imaging environment carries real, documented risk. Public health investigations have traced hepatitis B and C outbreaks to unsafe contrast media and saline-flush practices during CT scanning, a bacterial meningitis outbreak to infection control lapses during myelography at an outpatient radiology clinic, and joint infections to breaks in aseptic technique during MR arthrograms — along with separate cases tied to reuse of single-dose contrast vials across multiple patients. These are the same categories of breach driving infection control attention in surgical settings, just less consistently addressed in imaging.
How ICCS Supports Imaging Center Compliance
Infection Control Consulting Services (ICCS) specializes in infection prevention practices for outpatient imaging centers nationwide. The team of ICCS consultants helps facilities prepare for accreditation and licensure surveys through on-site mock assessments that observe and evaluate practices in the following areas:
Patient registration, intake, and screening
Contrast media and medication preparation
Exam and procedure rooms (X-ray, CT, MRI, mammography, nuclear medicine, and interventional suites)
Ultrasound transducer cleaning and disinfection
Environmental cleaning and equipment turnover between patients
Hand hygiene at the point of care
PPE use, including during fluoroscopy and interventional procedures
Sharps handling and medical waste disposal
Additional Imaging Center Services
Other services provided to imaging centers include the following:
Assistance with MIPPA accreditation readiness (ACR, IAC, The Joint Commission, RadSite) and applicable state licensure requirements
Development of infection prevention and control written programs
Review of contrast media handling and injection safety practices
Ultrasound transducer reprocessing protocol development and staff competency validation
Assistance with regulatory and accreditation deficiencies, including corrective action plan development
Educational programs for staff during visits or via webinar/audio conferences
Follow-up visits
Frequently Asked Questions
Are imaging centers required to have a written infection prevention program?
Requirements vary by state licensure and by which accrediting body a center uses for MIPPA compliance. Centers performing CT, MRI, PET, or nuclear medicine must meet accreditation standards from ACR, IAC, The Joint Commission, or RadSite that address staff and patient safety, and most state health departments require a written infection prevention plan as part of licensure. Because requirements differ by modality, accreditor, and state, many imaging centers bring in outside expertise to confirm their documentation meets every applicable standard.
Do ultrasound probes need to be disinfected between every patient?
Yes, and the level of disinfection depends on how the probe is used. Probes that only contact intact skin, such as standard abdominal or breast probes, require low-level disinfection. Endocavitary probes — transvaginal, transrectal, and transesophageal — contact mucous membranes and require high-level disinfection between patients, even when a probe cover is used, since covers can fail. This standard is reflected in guidance from the CDC, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM), and The Joint Commission.
What is the most common infection prevention gap ICCS finds in imaging centers?
Two areas come up repeatedly: contrast media and injection safety, and documentation around ultrasound probe reprocessing. Investigations into real infection outbreaks in imaging settings have repeatedly traced the source to reuse of single-dose vials, improper saline-flush practices, or inconsistent high-level disinfection of endocavitary probes. These are usually knowledge and documentation gaps rather than equipment failures, which makes them very fixable with the right training and written protocols.
What happens during an ICCS infection control assessment at an imaging center?
A consultant visits the facility and observes practices across patient intake, contrast and medication preparation, exam and procedure rooms, and the ultrasound reprocessing area, along with hand hygiene and PPE compliance. The visit results in a detailed report identifying gaps along with a corrective action plan the center can use to prepare for an upcoming accreditation or licensure survey.