Stethoscopes: potential vectors of Clostridium difficile

Alleyne, Susan; Hussain, Abid; Clokie, Martha R. J.; Jenkins, David R.

doi:10.1016/j.jhin.2009.05.014

Cited by 23 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…52 C. difficile has also been isolated from medical devices such as ultrasound machines, ECG machines, pulse oximeters and blood pressure cuffs 30,46,53 and personal equipment such as stethoscopes and flashlights. 34,54 McFarland demonstrated in 1981 that a contaminated portable commode chair was responsible for secondary spread to eight other patients on the ward within the span of one week. 27 A before-and-after study 55 and a crossover study 56 have demonstrated that switching from electronic rectal thermometers to either tympanic or disposable thermometers, respectively, resulted in a decreased incidence of CDI.…”

Section: Frequency and Level Of Environmental Contaminationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of the hospital environment in disease transmission, with a focus on Clostridium difficile

Rutala

Weber

2013

Healthcare infection

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Section: Frequency and Level Of Environmental Contaminationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of the hospital environment in disease transmission, with a focus on Clostridium difficile

Rutala

Weber

2013

Healthcare infection

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“…Even though stethoscopes may harbor regular skin flora (such as coagulase-negative staphylococci), they may also harbor pathogens [ 6 ]. Pathogenic bacteria most commonly found in stethoscope swabs include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and also Pseudomonas spp., Clostridium difficile , Acinetobacter , Escherichia coli and vancomycin-resistant enterococci [ 2 , 3 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Besides the diaphragm, other parts of the stethoscope could be contaminated, such as plastic ear pieces, which may remain colonized in spite of cleansing [ 11 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stethoscope Hygiene: Practice and Attitude of Medical Students

et al. 2015

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Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency and attitude of medical students towards cleaning their stethoscopes. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in the first week of December 2013. The study included 771 students (397 in their fourth and 374 in their sixth year) from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Serbia. An anonymous questionnaire was distributed to students before the start of compulsory lessons in classrooms. Results: 317 of the 397 fourth-year students (79.8%) and 306 of the 374 sixth-year students (81.9%) cleaned their stethoscope. The stethoscope diaphragm was most commonly cleaned, while the flexible tubing was the least commonly cleaned area, mainly using ethyl alcohol-based agents. The strongest positive attitude was observed for the statement ‘It is important that my stethoscope is clean' (4.3 out of 5.0). A positive correlation (Spearman's ρ = 0.105) was observed between a higher frequency of cleaning and the stronger positive notion that a stethoscope should be cleaned. Conclusion: A considerably high proportion of the students studied had ever cleaned their stethoscopes. Based on the students' responses, it would be useful to implement instructions on stethoscope hygiene in the regular practical curriculum with the aim of applying stethoscope disinfection in daily work.

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“…Several studies have reported contamination of these objects and their possible role in the transmission of HAIs [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Our study, unlike others, considered all these items together in a hospital setting, as well as comparing units with different organization, patient turnover, medical personnel, and visitors.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Healthcare equipment is frequently shared between hospital staff, who may have different hygiene practices. Medical devices (stethoscopes, otoscopes, and thermometers) and various objects in hospital environments, such as telephones and computers, have been associated with transmission of HAIs [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Stethoscopes/phonendoscopes (stethoscopes) are medical devices frequently used in direct contact with patients' skin and can therefore be a vector of infections.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Stethoscopes/phonendoscopes (stethoscopes) are medical devices frequently used in direct contact with patients' skin and can therefore be a vector of infections. These occurrences are known to the scientific community and testified by numerous international studies [9,11,[16][17][18]. Physicians should disinfect stethoscopes between one patient and another, though unfortunately this good practice is not always implemented.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Environmental contaminants in hospital settings and progress in disinfecting techniques

Messina

Ceriale

Lenzi

et al. 2013

European Journal of Public Health

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Medical devices, such as stethoscopes, and other objects found in hospital, such as computer keyboards and telephone handsets, may be reservoirs of bacteria for healthcare-associated infections. In this cross-over study involving an Italian teaching hospital we evaluated microbial contamination (total bacterial count (TBC) at 36 ∘ C/22 ∘ C, Staphylococcus spp., moulds, Enterococcus spp., Pseudomonas spp., E. coli, total coliform bacteria, Acinetobacter spp., and Clostridium difficile) of these devices before and after cleaning and differences in contamination between hospital units and between stethoscopes and keyboards plus handsets. We analysed 37 telephone handsets, 27 computer keyboards, and 35 stethoscopes, comparing their contamination in four hospital units. Wilcoxon signed-rank and Mann-Whitney tests were used. Before cleaning, many samples were positive for Staphylococcus spp. and coliforms. After cleaning, CFUs decreased to zero in most comparisons. The first aid unit had the highest and intensive care the lowest contamination ( < 0.01). Keyboards and handsets had higher TBC at 22 ∘ C ( = 0.046) and mould contamination ( = 0.002) than stethoscopes. Healthcare professionals should disinfect stethoscopes and other possible sources of bacterial healthcare-associated infections. The cleaning technique used was effective in reducing bacterial contamination. Units with high patient turnover, such as first aid, should practise stricter hygiene.

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Stethoscopes: potential vectors of Clostridium difficile

Cited by 23 publications

References 5 publications

Role of the hospital environment in disease transmission, with a focus on Clostridium difficile

Role of the hospital environment in disease transmission, with a focus on Clostridium difficile

Stethoscope Hygiene: Practice and Attitude of Medical Students

Environmental contaminants in hospital settings and progress in disinfecting techniques

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