title: [Bacterial contamination of stethoscopes in hospital].
abstract: Although many publications on the subject are available, only few campaigns for stethoscopes cleaning and disinfection are conducted. Stethoscope is a "not critical" reusable medical device and should benefit from a cleaning disinfection "low level" after each use. We studied the bacterial contamination of stethoscopes in our hospital and measured the role of bacterial reservoir and/or vector stethoscope could play. Mean microbial load was estimated at 1.550 CFU per stethoscope. Results obtained in our hospital and those of the literature, led us to propose a simple and efficient cleaning method. We believe motivate everyone to change their habits and carry out disinfection more frequent their very handling stethoscope.
authors.affiliation: Service d'hygiène hospitalière, Centre hospitalier, Haguenau, France.
authors.forename: Sevcan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Davullu
authors.affiliation: Service d'hygiène hospitalière, Centre hospitalier, Haguenau, France.
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burger
authors.affiliation: Service d'hygiène hospitalière, Centre hospitalier, Haguenau, France.
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kessler
authors.affiliation: Service d'hygiène hospitalière, Centre hospitalier, Haguenau, France.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Meunier
mesh_terms: D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019023:Stethoscopes / Q000382:microbiology*; D018440:beta-Lactam Resistance
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol
keywords: cleaning; contamination; infection; stethoscope