[Reuse of angiography catheters. Results and discussion of the present state of knowledge].

The re-use of angiographic catheters after cleansing and sterilization with ethylene oxide has received increasing attention, primarily because of cost considerations. However, there are various risks in this common practice, mainly because the principles of maintenance are neglected. Experimental findings on cleansing, sterilization, and mechanical safety are discussed, leading to the conclusion that re-use of disposable catheters is possible only under certain circumstances.