Question 2 Does regular cleaning of stethoscopes result in a reduction in nosocomial infections?: Table 2

Wheelchair cleaning and disinfection in Canadian health care facilities: “That's wheelie gross!”

“…7 The manufacturers' instructions that we reviewed were often brief and focused on the use and cleaning of the wheelchair outside the health care environment. Interestingly, there is specific literature on other complex pieces of equipment, including a number of studies describing contamination of stethoscopes 8,9 and several outbreaks associated with contaminated mattresses, 10-12 which perhaps most closely resemble wheelchairs given their complex composition, absorbency, risk of internal contamination, and prolonged contact with patients.…”

Nosocomial Neonatal Listeria monocytogenes Transmission by Stethoscope

“…The stethoscope is a proven source of nosocomial infection 4 . National guidelines refer to policies to reduce nosocomial transmission 5 , however these can be poorly adhered to 4 .…”

“…National guidelines refer to policies to reduce nosocomial transmission 5 , however these can be poorly adhered to 4 . These cases highlight the importance of following infection control policies.…”

Hosting the Unwanted: Stethoscope Contamination Threat

“…Stethoscopes are probably the most common medical device used by physicians/health professionals and they are used in close contact with patients' skin. Several studies have shown that stethoscopes are important vectors of infection [3][4][5][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19], while other studies have investigated microbial contamination on stethoscopes [9,20,21]. Other researches have examined the ability of certain products to decrease microbial contamination [3,22].…”