Background: Usefulness of shear-wave velocity (Vs) by virtual touch quantification (VTQ) in patients with hepatitis B was studied.

Subject: Vs was measured in 339 patients with hepatitis B (male: 188, histopathological diagnosis: 46).

Methods: Vs measured ten times in a right hepatic lobe and a median (Vs, m/s) was adopted.

Results: Vs value was significantly correlated with APRI, hyaluronic acid, prothrombin time, FIB-4, and platelet count (ρ＝0.578, 0.497, －0.486, 0.438, －0.336; p＜0.0001). Vs value was 1.19 (1.00–1.59) m/s in 10 patients with fibrosis stage of F0–1, 1.29 (1.20–1.59) m/s in 18 patients with F2, 1.54 (1.39–2.24) m/s in 11 patients with F3 and 2.31 (1.94–2.69) m/s in 7 patients with F4. Vs value significantly differed between F0–1 and F4 (p＝0.0155), and between F2 and F4 (p＝0.0027). The optimal cut-off values of Vs value were 1.16 m/s for F ＞ or ＝ 2, 1.36 m/s for F ＞ or ＝ 3 and 1.82 m/s for F4.

Discussion: Vs value was significantly correlated with fibrosis markers and fibrosis stage in chronic hepatitis B. In conclusion, Vs value was valuable for a diagnosis of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B.

Purpose: Gel is used to help conduct an ultrasound wave between a probe and the skin for sonography to issue a supersonic wave.

In the United States in 2011, there was an out-break of P. aeruginosa associated with esophagal sonography, and the cause was reported to be bacterially contaminated gel. Subsequent nosocomial infection control focused on inspection of the ultrasound wave apparatus as an environment where bacteria colonize the gel. Furthermore, we wished to examine the growth ability of the standard strain in the gel.

Subject: An unopened gel was used for standard daily routine, and the standard strain, which had 6 species of microbe of, S. aureus, E. faecalis, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa and C. albicans, were introduced.

Result: E. faecalis and C. albicans grew one day later. However, the number of microbes remarkably decreased, and two days after the inoculation, no microbes were alive in the gel. The result of the investigation the number of both apparatuses bacteria which detected from the apparatus panel surface together other; wiped it off, and there was more it than a point.

Conclusion: When bacteria are introduced to gel, bacteria may survive from several hours to 24 hours. Consequently, it is necessary to perform strict hygiene management of ultrasound gel, since those who use ultrasound wave apparatus believe that strict nosocomial infection control relating to gel should encourage hand hygiene and through cleaning.