Bacterial contamination and stethoscope disinfection practices: a cross-sectional survey of healthcare workers in Karachi, Pakistan

Abstract

Stethoscopes routinely used for clinical examination of patients may potentially transfer micro-organisms and cause iatrogenic infections. This study was undertaken to detect the presence of microorganisms on stethoscopes used clinically in hospitals of Karachi, Pakistan and to ascertain the infection control practices of healthcare workers (HCWs). In a cross-sectional study, 118 samples were collected from public and private institutions. Samples were tested for the presence and sensitivity of pathogenic microorganisms. Microorganisms were found on diaphragms of 33/64 (51.6%) and 19/57 (33.3%) stethoscopes in public and private sector hospitals, respectively. Methycillin resistance was identified in all staphylococcally contaminated samples. Only 33 (18%) respondents reported cleaning their stethoscopes regularly. We highlight the need for more and better on-the-job routines for decontaminating stethoscopes among HCWs in Karachi.

To assess the stethoscope cleaning practices, microbial load and efficacy of cleaning stethoscopes with alcohol-based disinfectant in a tertiary care hospital

“…This is similar to previous studies (Marinella et al, 1997; Núñez et al, 2000) where all the stethoscopes had some growth before the application of cleaning agent. However, Rao et al (2017) in their study found that only 51.6% of the stethoscopes had some growth. The most common organisms found in our study were coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (50%), bacillus species (14%) and diptheroids (14%).…”

Conductas de higiene en el uso de estetoscopios de estudiantes de un programa de medicina de la ciudad de Tunja, Colombia

“…Al revisar investigaciones como la de Bham y colaboradores (2015) [19] se detectó que la especie de cocos Gram positivos más prevalente como contaminante de los estetoscopios fue Staphylococcus aureus, como probablemente podría ocurrir en la presente investigación. Rao y colaboradores (2017) [20] encontraron que de un total de 52 estetoscopios analizados Staphylococcus aureus fue aislado en el 88,5% de los Conductas de higiene en el uso de estetoscopios casos, todos ellos resistentes a la meticilina. Finalmente, en la revisión sistemática realizada por Haun y colaboradores (2016) [21] se evidencia que los estetoscopios, y otros instrumentos médicos, están comúnmente contaminados por patógenos Gram positivos como Staphylococcus aureus (incluyendo los resistentes a meticilina) y bacilos Gram negativos.…”

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Contamination on Physiotherapy Equipment Used in Selected Tertiary and Private Hospitals in Anambra State, Nigeria

“…This could be due to the fact that it is not frequently recommended for use. The implication is that equipment subjected to a regular use might be exposed to persistent contamination as medical devices [27]. It was reported that a higher contamination of diagnostic equipment with 51.6% and 33.3% in private and tertiary Hospitals respectively in Karachi, Pakistan.…”