A new study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings discovered that while many doctors regularly and rigorously wash their hands and change gloves throughout the day, many forget to clean a crucial instrument in their arsenal; their stethoscope.
Didier Pittet, director of the Infection Control Program at the University of Geneva Hospital and lead author of the study, said doctors often forget to clean off their stethoscope between patients, which can lead to the transfer of bacteria.
“While the doctor’s hands are cleaned after each patient, their stethoscope is not, so then they apply the stethoscope to the second patient, and the third, carrying bacteria from each patient’s skin,” Pittet said.
Stethoscope Study
Researchers wanted to see which objects harbored the most bacteria after physician-conducted checkups. To understand bacteria growth and movement, researchers asked 83 patients to undergo a routine exam by one of three licensed physicians. Each physician wore sterilized gloves and used a sterilized stethoscope during the examination.
After the exam was over, researchers measured the amount of bacteria that was found on the stethoscope tube, the cool part that touches the patient’s skin, and four areas on the physician’s hands. In 71 of the 83 cases (86 percent), the stethoscope had a higher concentration of bacteria than all parts of the physician’s hands, except for the fingertips.
“We found that the stethoscope was highly contaminated to a level close to the fingertips,” Pittet said.
Pettit added that stethoscopes can’t be blamed for causing infections to spread, but he believes they most likely play some role in transmitting bacteria. He concluded by saying that doctors should view their stethoscope as an extension of their hands, and they should sanitize their tools after every patient.
“It’s clear cleaning hands with alcohol-based gel is most important to prevent cross contamination with bacteria,” Pittet said. “But if your hands are clean and your stethoscope is not, it’s counterproductive.”
Dr. Silverman comments
This is an interesting study. I’m sure there are plenty of doctors out there who don’t regularly cleanse their stethoscope after each patient. Even if they do, sometimes they’ll stick the instrument back in their pocket or in a desk drawer, which is undoubtedly filled with germs.
It’s a good practice to cleanse your tools once you’re finished, and again before you use it on a patient. This will dramatically reduce the spread of bacteria.
Related source: USA Today