A clinical study to evaluate the safe and effective use of Stethoglove, a single use stethoscope cover to reduce pathogen transmission during auscultation

Abstract

Objectives: Stethoscopes carry a significant risk for pathogen transmission. Here, the safe use and performance of Stethoglove®, a non-sterile, single-use cover for stethoscopes, that is impermeable for pathogens, was investigated by different healthcare professionals (HCPs) in the postoperative care setting of an intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: Fifty-four patients underwent routine auscultations with the use of Stethoglove®. The participating HCPs (n=34) rated each auscultation with Stethoglove® on a 5-point Likert scale. The mean ratings of acoustic quality and Stethoglove® handling were defined as primary and secondary performance endpoint. Results: 534 auscultations with Stethoglove® were performed (average 15.7/user) on the lungs (36.1%), the abdomen (33.2%), the heart (28.8%) or other body-sites (1.9%). No adverse device-effects occurred. The acoustic quality was rated at 4.2±0.7 (mean) with a total of 86.1% of all auscultations being rated at least as 4/5, and with no rating as below 2. The Stethoglove® handling was rated at 3.7±0.8 (mean) with a total of 96.4% of all auscultations being rated at least 3/5. Conclusions: Using a real-world setting, this study demonstrates that Stethoglove® can be safely and effectively used as cover for stethoscopes during auscultation. Stethoglove® may therefore represent a useful and easy-to-implement tool for preventing stethoscope-mediated infections.