title: What's growing on General Practitioner's stethoscope?
abstract: Non-critical medical devices, as stethoscopes, have long been considered as vectors in microorganisms' transmission. Cleaning standards for non-critical medical equipment are often unclear. This study was designed to assess the attitude of General Practitioners (GPs) towards cleaning their stethoscope and the degree of microbiological contamination of doctor's instrument in outpatient setting.
  
  
  
  Observational, crossover study.
  
  
  
  A structured questionnaire was administered to GPs to test their knowledge about medical instrument's cleanliness recommendations and the surface of the diaphragm of their stethoscopes was analyzed for bacteriological isolates using mass spectrometry technique.
  
  
  
  Most of GPs declared they don't know cleaning recommendations for non-critical medical devices and a relevant bacterial growth was identified on the majority of the stethoscopes' membranes. Almost all microbiological isolates resulted typically found in cutaneous flora.
  
  
  
  We can't state that the GP's stethoscopes feature a risk of transmission for microbiological pathogens; anyway, because of the level of contamination we observed, cleaning recommendations to disinfect instruments on a regular basis should be better indicated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carducci
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cargnelutti
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tassinari
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bizzarro
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cordio
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, IRCCS San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carletti
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maccarini
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pelissero
mesh_terms: D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control*; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D000072143:Pediatricians / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019023:Stethoscopes / Q000382:microbiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Healthcare infections; Hygiene; Outpatient setting; Stethoscope