A novel approach to stethoscope hygiene: A coat-pocket innovation

Background: The stethoscope is the most widely used instrument in healthcare. Studies have found similar rates of contamination on the stethoscope diaphragm and on physician fingertips after a single examination. Our aim was to test the effectiveness of an innovative portable device for disinfecting stethoscope membranes. Methods: From November 2016 to May 2017, a cross-sectional study was conducted in four wards of a private clinic: General Ward (GW), Internal Medicine Ward (IMW), Post-Operative Observation Ward (POW) and Permanent Vegetative State Ward (PVSW). Five wearable medical devices, designed to disinfect stethoscope membranes automatically by means of UV-C radiation, were provided to operators. Spot checks were made for microbial counts of stethoscope membranes, classified as treated or otherwise on the basis of whether they were found coupled or otherwise with the devices. The percentage reduction in colony forming units (CFU) was calculated between the two groups. Results: The number of tests of stethoscopes treated with the device was 116 out of 272. Untreated samples had a mean contamination of 132.2 CFU versus 6.9 CFU of treated samples: a 94.8% reduction (95% CI 91.3%–97.7). Highly significant statistical differences in CFU were found between untreated and treated membranes (p < 0.001). In particular, microbial contamination showed a reduction of 88.7% (CI 77.5%–96.05%) in PVSW, 95.9% (CI 88.2%–98.5%) in GW, 84.5% (CI 76.4%–90.5%) in IMW and 95.8% (CI 90.3%–98.1%) in POW. Conclusion: The devices proved effective and efficient in reducing the microbial load of stethoscope membranes. Wearing the device on the coat may act as a reminder of the need for hygiene.