When it comes to germs, patients should be as wary of stethoscopes as they are of their doctor's hands, a new study suggests.
A group of Swiss researchers found that the diaphragms of stethoscopes - the part that the doctor places against your skin - were more contaminated with the bacteria MRSA than the palm of the hand.
Research shows that stethoscopes are typically cleaned less than once a month, if at all. If not disinfected between uses, they're as likely to contaminate a patient as unwashed hands, the researchers claim.
"By considering that stethoscopes are used repeatedly over the course of a day, come directly into contact with patients' skin and may harbor several thousand bacteria (including MRSA) collected during a previous physical examination, we consider them as potentially significant vectors of transmission," said lead researcher Dr. Didier Pittet, director of the infection control program at the University of Geneva Hospitals.
"From infection control and patient safety perspectives, the stethoscope should be regarded as an extension of the physician's hands and be disinfected after every patient contact," he added.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), on any given day, one in every 20 patients has an infection following medical care. Thirty to 40 percent of those infections occur through the spread of pathogens from one patient to another or from hospital equipment to a patient, often via healthcare workers' hands.
Guidelines exist recommending that doctors wash their hands before and after visits with patients, but there are none requiring that small medical equipment such as stethoscopes be disinfected after each use.
The study published last Thursday in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings details how the researchers used results from three doctors and 83 patients to come to their conclusions. They tested four spots on the doctors' hands and two sites on the stethoscopes: the diaphragm and the tube.
The fingertips were the most contaminated, with both general bacteria and MRSA. However, the stethoscope's diaphragm came in second place, beating the palm of the doctor's hand.
Doctors are increasingly aware of the importance of hygiene standards in the workplace, said Dr. Clare Taylor, council member from the Royal College of General Practitioners.
"I regularly clean my own stethoscope with alcohol wipes and ensure I wash or sanitize my hands after every patient," she said. "It's part of our role to ensure we do everything we can to prevent the spread of infection."
The study claims further research is needed to understand how stethoscopes can be disinfected. More research is also acquired to determine how long bacteria survive on stethoscopes as well as how they are transmitted to human skin.
