The risk of blood splash contamination during angiography.

Blood splash contamination of the conjunctivae or buccal mucosa may occur during angiography and angioplasty. Since there is a risk of contracting Hepatitis B or HIV via this route, staff should be aware of this potential source of infection. The use of protective masks and goggles or glasses should be considered. We have studied the risk of contamination by asking both the radiologist and angiography nurse to wear spectacles and disposable masks during 100 consecutive angiographic procedures. The number of splashes was counted at the end of each procedure. Blood splashes occurred in seven procedures and there was a total of 23 splashes during the study. In conclusion, we believe that there is a significant risk of conjunctival or mucosal contamination with blood during angiographic procedures and given the potential seriousness of transmission of Hepatitis B or HIV, radiologists and nursing staff must be aware of this risk.