
%0 Journal Article
%A Denholm, Justin T. 
%A Levine, Anthony 
%A Kerridge, Ian H. 
%A Ashhurst-Smith, Chris 
%A Ferguson, John 
%A D'Este, Catherine 
%T A microbiological survey of stethoscopes in Australian teaching hospitals: potential for nosocomial infection?
%J Healthcare Infection
%D 2005/09/01
%V 10
%N 3
%P 79-86
%K 
%R https://doi.org/10.1071/HI05079
%U https://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HI05079 
%X Our study aimed to investigate how frequently ward-based stethoscopes in high-risk areas are colonised with potential pathogens, and to compare that with the colonisation rates for personal stethoscopes. We performed a survey of microbiological flora on stethoscopes, with single-blinded laboratory analysis, based in immunologically high-risk areas in three tertiary teaching hospitals in Newcastle, Australia. Onn hundred fifty-five doctors and medical students working in pre-selected areas of each hospital at the time of the survey were selected for inclusion, and participants&apos; stethoscopes and the ward-based stethoscopes used in the same areas were swabbed and cultured. Participants also completed a questionnaire regarding their stethoscope use and cleaning. The stethoscopes were compared on the basis of total colony count and pathogenic organisms, cross-matched against personal characteristics (e.g. doctor or student) and stethoscope use and cleaning habits. We found that there were significantly more organisms isolated from personal stethoscopes (mean colony count (CC) = 50.3, 95% CI 41.7?58.9) than ward-based (mean CC = 29.3, 95% CI 17.9-40.7) (p< 0.01). There was no significant relationship between the frequency of stethoscope cleaning and degree of stethoscope contamination, nor was the amount of patients seen per day a significant factor. This study suggests that even regular cleaning of stethoscopes may be insufficient to prevent colonisation with potentially pathogenic organisms, and that patients at high-risk for nosocomial infection should only be examined with stethoscopes that are restricted to single-patient use. 
