Contamination of stethoscopes and physicians' hands after a physical examination

Mayo Clinic Proceedings

Volumn 89, Issue 3, 2014, Pages 291-299

  Longtin, Yves ^a,b   Schneider, Alexis ^a,b   Tschopp, Clément ^a,b   Renzi, Gesuèle ^a   Gayet Ageron, Angèle ^a,b   Schrenzel, Jacques ^a   Pittet, Didier ^a,b  

^a GENEVA UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS   (Switzerland)

^b UNIVERSITY OF GENEVA   (Switzerland)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

AMOXICILLIN PLUS CLAVULANIC ACID; CEFAZOLIN; CEFTRIAXONE; CIPROFLOXACIN; CLINDAMYCIN; COTRIMOXAZOLE; IMIPENEM; LEVOFLOXACIN; METRONIDAZOLE; VANCOMYCIN;

ADULT; AGED; ARTICLE; BACTERIAL COUNT; BACTERIAL TRANSMISSION; BACTERIUM CONTAMINATION; COLONY FORMING UNIT; CONTROLLED STUDY; DRUG USE; EQUIPMENT CONTAMINATION; FEMALE; FINGER; GLOVE; HAND; HAND WASHING; HOSPITAL PATIENT; HUMAN; INSTRUMENT STERILIZATION; MAJOR CLINICAL STUDY; MALE; METHICILLIN RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS; MIDDLE AGED; PHYSICAL EXAMINATION; PHYSICIAN; PROSPECTIVE STUDY; STETHOSCOPE; SWITZERLAND; THENAR;

AGED; AGED, 80 AND OVER; BACTERIA, AEROBIC; BACTERIAL INFECTIONS; COLONY COUNT, MICROBIAL; CROSS INFECTION; EQUIPMENT CONTAMINATION; FEMALE; HAND; HOSPITALS, TEACHING; HUMANS; MALE; METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS; MIDDLE AGED; PHYSICAL EXAMINATION; PROSPECTIVE STUDIES; RISK; STAPHYLOCOCCAL INFECTIONS; STETHOSCOPES;

EID: 84898464033     PISSN: 00256196     EISSN: 19425546     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2013.11.016     Document Type: Article

References (24)

1. WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care. Geneva: World Health Organisation; 2009.
2. Pittet D, Dharan S, Touveneau S, Sauvan V, Perneger TV. Bacterial contamination of the hands of hospital staff during routine patient care. Arch Intern Med. 1999;159(8):821-826.
3. Pittet D, Allegranzi B, Sax H, et al. Evidence-based model for hand transmission during patient care and the role of improved practices. Lancet Infect Dis. 2006;6(10):641-652.
4. Pittet D, Hugonnet S, Harbarth S, et al. Effectiveness of a hospitalwide programmeto improvecompliance with hand hygiene. Infection Control Programme. Lancet. 2000;356(9238):1307-1312.
5. Harbarth S, Fankhauser C, Schrenzel J, et al. Universal screening for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus at hospital admission and nosocomial infection in surgical patients. JAMA. 2008;299(10):1149-1157.
6. Raad I, Hanna H, Maki D. Intravascular catheter-related infections: advances in diagnosis, prevention, and management. Lancet Infect Dis. 2007;7(10):645-657.
7. Cherkaoui A, Renzi G, Francois P, Schrenzel J. Comparison of four chromogenic media for culture-based screening of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. J Med Microbiol. 2007;56(Pt 4):500-503.
8. Marinella MA, Pierson C, Chenoweth C. The stethoscope. A potential source of nosocomial infection? Arch Intern Med. 1997;157(7):786-790.
9. Smith MA, Mathewson JJ, Ulert IA, Scerpella EG, Ericsson CD. Contaminated stethoscopes revisited. Arch Intern Med. 1996; 156(1):82-84.
10. Breathnach AS, Jenkins DR, Pedler SJ. Stethoscopes as possible vectors of infection by staphylococci. BMJ. 1992;305(6868): 1573-1574.
11. Garner TK, Rimland D. Stethoscopes and infections. JAMA. 1982;248(3):310.
12. Gerken A, Cavanagh S, Winner HI. Infection hazard from stethoscopes in hospital. Lancet. 1972;1(7762):1214-1215.
13. Lecat P, Cropp E, McCord G, Haller NA. Ethanol-based cleanser versus isopropyl alcohol to decontaminate stethoscopes. Am J Infect Control. 2009;37(3):241-243.
14. Tang PH, Worster A, Srigley JA, Main CL. Examination of staphylococcal stethoscope contamination in the emergency department (pilot) study (EXSSCITED pilot study). CJEM. 2011;13(4): 239-244.
15. Kerr JR, Martin H, Chadwick MV, Edwards A, Hodson ME, Geddes DM. Evidence against transmission of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by hands and stethoscopes in a cystic fibrosis unit. J Hosp Infect. 2002;50(4):324-326.
16. Youngster I, Berkovitch M, Heyman E, Lazarovitch Z, Goldman M. The stethoscope as a vector of infectious diseases in the paediatric division. Acta Paediatr. 2008;97(9):1253-1255.
17. Cohen SR, McCormack DJ, Youkhana A, Wall R. Bacterial colonization of stethoscopes and the effect of cleaning. J Hosp Infect. 2003;55(3):236-237.
18. Guinto CH, Bottone EJ, Raffalli JT, Montecalvo MA, Wormser GP. Evaluation of dedicated stethoscopes as a potential source of nosocomial pathogens. Am J Infect Control. 2002;30(8):499-502.
19. Cohen HA, Amir J, Matalon A, Mayan R, Beni S, Barzilai A. Stethoscopes and otoscopesda potential vector of infection? Fam Pract. 1997;14(6):446-449.
20. Sengupta S, Sirkar A, Shivananda PG. Stethoscopes and nosocomial infection. Indian J Pediatr. 2000;67(3):197-199.
21. Wood MW, Lund RC, Stevenson KB. Bacterial contamination of stethoscopes with antimicrobial diaphragm covers. Am J Infect Control. 2007;35(4):263-266.
22. Bernard L, Kereveur A, Durand D, et al. Bacterial contamination of hospital physicians' stethoscopes. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 1999;20(9):626-628.
23. Fenelon L, Holcroft L, Waters N. Contamination of stethoscopes with MRSA and current disinfection practices. J Hosp Infect. 2009;71(4):376-378.
24. Muniz J, Sethi RK, Zaghi J, Ziniel SI, Sandora TJ. Predictors of stethoscope disinfection among pediatric health care providers. Am J Infect Control. 2012;40(10):922-925.