So, I said this on facebook...

ohhhh.... great. YUCK – STUDY: STETHOSCOPES DIRTIER THAN PHYSICIAN’S HAND: According to a new study, stethoscopes carry more bacteria, such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), than a physician’s hand. After a physician’s exam, a stethoscope was found to be more contaminated with MRSA than all areas of the hand except the fingerprints, according to Dr. Didier Pittet, of the University of Geneva Hospitals in Switzerland, and colleagues. The fingerprints were the dirtiest. The stethoscope averaged 89 colony forming units compared to 37 on the base of thumb, 34 on the base of the pinkie finger, and 8 on the back of the hand. The researchers noted that most stethoscopes rarely get cleaned once a month.

by David MacDougall Beach



February 28, 2014 at 11:01AM

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