Awareness Among Healthcare Professionals Regarding Contaminated Stethoscopes as a Source of Nosocomial Infections

Zehra, Desaar; Iqbal, Mishal; Safdar, Ayesha; Hamza, J.; Inam, Syed Hashim Ali; Zahid, Muhammad

doi:10.7759/cureus.5968

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…In addition, awareness of possible transmission due to equipment used by anesthesiologists may be lacking. A study of awareness among healthcare clinicians regarding stethoscopes as a possible source of nosocomial infection reported that most believed that their hospitals did not have protocols for disinfecting stethoscopes and there was no accountability regarding this [20].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Outbreak of Sepsis Following Surgery: Utilizing 16S RNA Sequencing To Detect the Source of Infection

Segal¹,

Yosef²,

Axel³

et al. 2022

Cureus

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BackgroundNosocomial infections are a significant health concern. Following surgery, infections are most commonly associated with the surgical site, yet there are other potential sources for infections after surgical interventions. Identification of the source of infections can be very challenging. MethodologyAn outbreak of postoperative infections following surgery led to intensive care unit (ICU) admission of patients immediately after the surgical procedure. The blood cultures of two patients were positive for Citrobacter freundii. The only connection between all cases was the anesthesiologist. An epidemiological inquiry could not definitively identify the source of the outbreak. Therefore, we utilized an RNA sequencing technique to evaluate the microbiome of the anesthesiologist and compared the results to bacteria cultured from the bloodstream of the two patients. ResultsThe anesthesiologist's microbiome contained amplicons that were identical to those of the bacteria in the patient's bloodstream. Because Citrobacter freundii is an uncommon source of bloodstream infections, and in the normal human microbiome, the results establish the source of a cluster of infections to the anesthesiologist. ConclusionsIn cases of nosocomial infections, when conventional microbiological techniques do not clearly establish the source of the infection, using 16S RNA sequencing should be considered.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Outbreak of Sepsis Following Surgery: Utilizing 16S RNA Sequencing To Detect the Source of Infection

Segal¹,

Yosef²,

Axel³

et al. 2022

Cureus

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“…However, only 9.5% cleaned their stethoscope per patient, 20.6% did it daily, 19.8% did it weekly, 16.9% did it monthly, 14.9% did it six-monthly while 28.4% respondents had never cleaned their stethoscope. Of note, 99.2% believed that there were no accountability criteria set for the assessment of the cleanliness of stethoscopes in their hospitals [33].…”

Section: Disinfecting Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wondrous Stethoscope: A Potential Disseminator of Pathogens in Health-Care Settings

Khan¹,

Malik²

2021

JCRR

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Stethoscope, the foundational clinical tool of medical profession, has been found to be a potential disseminator of infections in the healthcare settings (HAIs). Unfortunately, despite recognition of magnitude of the problem, its disinfection is an under-recognized, under-scored and grossly overlooked issue. The three life savior words “Wash your hands” were uttered, for the first time, by Hungarian Obstetrician Ignaz Semmelweis (1818-1865) at the podium of The Vienna Medical Society’s lecture hall on the historic day of May 15, 1850. Today, adequate hand hygiene has been recognized to be the single most important, feasible, doable, and least expensive tool in reducing the increasing toll of HAIs and the spread of antimicrobial resistance. However, efficacy of such a program would be undermined if the healthcare workers (HCWs) continue using unclean stethoscopes which have been found to harbor the same pathogens as on the hands of HCWs. WHO’s “Clean Care is Safer Care” guidelines promote hand hygiene before touching a patient. Likewise, the stethoscopes should be disinfected “before use on each patient”. The resultant synergistic effect would prevent the dissemination of identical pathogens among patients and the care of “clinician’s third hand” would certainly reduce burden of HAIs in healthcare settings.

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“…International research shows high bacterial contamination of stethoscopes, with most participants aware of their potential to spread nosocomial infections. However, only 9.5% clean them after each use, with alcohol wipes being the most commonly used cleaning product (14). HAIs often stem from hygiene neglect, a common cause of medical malpractice claims.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation into Stethoscope Hygiene: Bacterial Contamination and Disinfection Methods among Medical Trainees

Ali,

Awwad,

Eid

et al. 2024

Preprint

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The stethoscope, crucial in medical diagnosis, links doctors and patients. With the threat of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), understanding stethoscope contamination and medical students' awareness is imperative. This study conducted from September to December 2022, the research involved 293 stethoscopes from three hospitals in the West Bank. Questionnaires probed students' practices, and Staphylococcus spp isolations were analyzed. Contamination rates, bacterial species, associations with disinfection practices and other hospital factors were explored. Stethoscope contamination rate was high in the three hospitals (range: 26.5–50.8 CFU/cm2). Staphylococcus spp contaminated 36.9% of stethoscopes. Methicillin Resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin Resistant S. aureus (VRSA) occurred in 16.6% and 1.8% respectively. 36% exhibited resistance to two or more antibiotics. The study revealed significant findings regarding stethoscope contamination. Those disinfecting stethoscopes between patients achieved a 29.4% acceptable rate, contrasting with a significantly higher 60.7% rate for non-disinfectors (P < 0.05). Reminders for disinfection in study units resulted in a 32.1% acceptable rate, whereas units without reminders had a significantly higher 67.9% rate (P < 0.001). Stethoscope usage also played a role, with a 34.4% acceptable rate for those examining only patients, compared to a significantly higher 65.8% rate for those examining both patients and peers (P < 0.05). Additionally, significant differences were observed in hospital, rotation, year-wise, disinfection frequency, and the presence of reminders. This study emphasizes the importance of stethoscope disinfection, reminders, and hand hygiene in reducing contamination. Educational interventions are critical.

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Awareness Among Healthcare Professionals Regarding Contaminated Stethoscopes as a Source of Nosocomial Infections

Cited by 3 publications

References 13 publications

Outbreak of Sepsis Following Surgery: Utilizing 16S RNA Sequencing To Detect the Source of Infection

Outbreak of Sepsis Following Surgery: Utilizing 16S RNA Sequencing To Detect the Source of Infection

Wondrous Stethoscope: A Potential Disseminator of Pathogens in Health-Care Settings

Investigation into Stethoscope Hygiene: Bacterial Contamination and Disinfection Methods among Medical Trainees

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