Every time we go to the doctor we notice that when he/she walks in he/she washes her hands before attending you, but have you ever thought if they clean their stethoscopes? In a recent study by, the University of Geneva Hospital, they went out to find which had more microbes doctor's hands or his stethoscope? Their purpose was to find out which one was dirtier in the sense of which one had more microbes, germs and bacteria. They choose the stethoscope because it gets used repeatedly and sometimes with direct contact with a patients skin. This makes the stethoscope a tool for transmitting microorganisms to others very easily. A patient could have MRSA which is very hard to get rid of and dangerous and then carried onto another patient through the stethoscope.
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| How clean is the stethoscope? |
The study consisted of 71 patients and three physicians. The team gave the physicians sterile gloves and a sterile stethoscope. After the examination of the 71 patients, the stethoscope and the physicians' hands were measured for the total number of bacteria present.
The results where what they expected. There was far more bacteria on the stethoscopes then on the physicians' hands, except for the fingertips.
This study is really important because it shows with facts how vulnerable we can be if others don't sanitize equipment properly. This also can help improve sanitization methods in hospitals, clinics and many other places. This article made me realize how important it is to disinfect equipment, whether your at the gym or in your kitchen or some other place. I would have never thought how dirty stethoscopes were and how we can get some kind of unwanted microorganism form them.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140227134841.htm
Very True! Doctors do most of the time always wash their hands before they tend to you, but I never thought about their stethoscopes! I think this study is interesting because people go to doctors or physicians when they get sick or for routinely checkups. The objective is to see a physician to stay healthy and not get sick, but if a physician is not cleaning their stethoscope then it can defeat the purpose. I think there should be more research on doctors and hospitals equipment in general. I think more research could lead to cleaner hospitals and safer checkups! I wonder what kind of bacteria the researchers found on the studied stethoscopes? Were the bacteria transferred from the different patients or were they just microbes that were in the air that landed on the stethoscope? This study can tell a lot about how important it is to sterilize medical equipment after each patient! We go to doctors and physicians to stay healthy, not get sick.
ReplyDelete-Angelo V.
This article makes my skin crawl! I've never thought of how scarily true this is. When we go to the doctor, the point behind it is to make us feel better, not to go there and get sick! I’ve always been weary about the things I touch while in a doctor’s office and truly do my best to even avoid breathing. Ha, and now to think that they’re allowing a direct pathway of all the unwanted microbes onto my skin? EW! What if the doctor uses the stethoscope on someone who has some horrid disease and then comes in and touches you with it? That’s just inviting the microbes right in. They really should be more careful with things like that, especially when there are people who go in all the time who’s immune systems are weak and may not be able to handle what they come in contact with. I wonder what kinds of bacteria are typically taking home on one. Are they these awful things that we’re afraid to catch? Or more like friendly ones that we need to keep us strong?
ReplyDeleteWoah, I have never thought of this! I know doctors offices are always cleaned; like the beds being covered with paper and what not. But I have never worried about the stethoscope before! Whenever people go to the doctors, there is always concern of germs all over the place, with all the sick people in and out. But whenever I get into the room, I always feel better being away from the people in the lobby. But who was in there before me? This has really opened my eyes to what else could cause spread of microbes. Really interesting article!
ReplyDeleteHi, I am a PhD student in Dr. Northup's lab. Cool article. An interesting follow up study to this would be to investigate the most effective methods for decontaminating the stethescopes after visiting a patient.
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