Stethoscopes or Maybe "Bacterioscopes" - Is hand Hygiene Solely Capable of Preventing Hospital-Associated Infections?

• Published in: Polish journal of microbiology Vol. 72; no. 1; pp. 79 - 91
• Main Authors: Talaga-Ćwiertnia, Katarzyna, Ochońska, Dorota, Gajda, Mateusz, Kowalczyk, Monika, Palczewska, Magdalena, Brzychczy-Włoch, Monika
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Poland De Gruyter Poland 01-03-2023; Sciendo
• Subjects: Antibiotic resistance; Bacteria; bacterial contamination; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial infections; Cleaning; Contaminants; Contamination; Cross Infection - microbiology; Cross Infection - prevention & control; Equipment Contamination - prevention & control; Hand Hygiene; hospital-associated infections (hais); Hospitals; Humans; Hygiene; Infections; Medical devices; Medical equipment; Medical instruments; medical student stethoscopes; Medical students; methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (mrsa); methicillin-resistant staphylococcus epidermidis (mrse); Microorganisms; Multidrug resistance; Original Paper; Pathogens; Personal hygiene; Questionnaires; Stethoscopes; Stethoscopes - microbiology; Students; bacterial contamination; medical student stethoscopes; methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA); methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE); hospital-associated infections (HAIs)
• ISSN: 2544-4646; 1733-1331; 2544-4646
• DOI: 10.33073/pjm-2023-012

The stethoscope remains an indispensable diagnostic tool for medical students. Improper stethoscope hygiene may cause bacterial infections, including hospital-associated infections (HAIs), which challenge the Polish medical system. The study's main objective was to evaluate the hygiene habits declared by medical students. Moreover, microbiological control with the characteristics of potentially pathogenic microorganisms was performed. The study included 66 medical students from the Faculty of Medicine at the Jagiellonian University Medical College in Cracow, Poland. The participants filled in an anonymous questionnaire. Stethoscope contamination was assessed through isolation, identification, testing of antibiotic resistance, and clonality of the isolates bacterial pathogens. The survey showed that only 30.3% of students cleaned their stethoscopes after each patient, and 1.5% never did this. Of the 66 stethoscopes tested, 100% were positive for bacterial growth.
spp. was the most frequently isolated contaminant (50.5%). The questionnaire results demonstrated the necessity of the validated procedures for cleaning the stethoscopes. Stethoscopes used by medical students are contaminated with numerous bacterial species, including multidrug-resistant organisms. The clonal structure of the MRSA and MRSE populations acquired from stethoscopes has been demonstrated. Our results confirm the possibility that these medical devices mediate the spread of hazardous pathogens in the hospital environment. Practical exercises are essential to forming the correct hygiene habits involving stethoscopes, which enable practicing and checking the correctness of the established skills.