Stethoscopes: potential vectors of Clostridium difficile

Journal of Hospital Infection

Volumn 73, Issue 2, 2009, Pages 187-189

  Alleyne, S A ^a   Hussain, A M ^a   Clokie, M ^b   Jenkins, D R ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF LEICESTER NHS TRUST   (United Kingdom)

^b UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ALCOHOL; CHLORHEXIDINE; CHLOROXYLENOL; HEXACHLOROPHENE; IODOPHOR; TRICLOSAN;

BACTERIAL GROWTH; BACTERIUM CARRIER; BACTERIUM CONTAMINATION; BACTERIUM ISOLATION; CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE; CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE INFECTION; DISINFECTION; ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION; HAND WASHING; HOSPITAL HYGIENE; HUMAN; INCIDENCE; INFECTION CONTROL; LETTER; NONHUMAN; POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION; STETHOSCOPE; UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL;

CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE; CROSS INFECTION; DISEASE RESERVOIRS; ENTEROCOLITIS, PSEUDOMEMBRANOUS; HUMANS; PHYSICIANS; STETHOSCOPES;

EID: 69749101002     PISSN: 01956701     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2009.05.014     Document Type: Letter

References (8)

1. Health Protection Agency. Voluntary surveillance of Clostridium difficile in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2006. Health Protection Report; 2007.
2. Department of Health/NHS Finance Performance and Operation. The NHS in England: the operating framework for 2008/9. December 2007.
3. Healthcare Commission. Investigation in the outbreak of Clostridium difficile at Stoke Mandeville Hospitals. Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust; July 2006. Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection.
4. Fawley W.N., Underwood S., Freeman J., et al. Efficacy of hospital cleaning agents and germicides against epidemic Clostridium difficile strains. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 28 (2007) 920-925
5. Marinella M.A., Pierson C., and Chenoweth C. The stethoscope. A potential source of nosocomial infection?. Arch Intern Med 157 (1997) 786-790
6. Saloojee H., and Steenhoff A. The health professional's role in preventing nosocomial infections. Postgrad Med J 77 (2001) 16-19
7. Breathnach A.S., Jenkins D.R., and Pedler S.J. Stethoscopes as possible vectors of infection by Staphylococci. Br Med J 305 (1992) 1573-1574
8. Vonberg R.P., Kuijper E.J., Wilcox M.H., Barbut F., Tull P., and Gastmeier P. Infection control measures to limit the spread of Clostridium difficile. Clin Microbiol Infect 14 Suppl. 5 (2008) 2-20