Abstract
To identify the presence and degree of bacterial contamination on stethoscopes used by physicians and physician assistants (PAs) in an outpatient setting, we swabbed and cultured 61 stethoscopes. We defined the degree of contamination as follows: minimal contamination, 1-2 isolates; moderate contamination, 3 isolates; and severe contamination, 4 or more isolates. All stethoscopes were found to be contaminated. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus was detected on 93.4% of the stethoscopes. Stethoscopes used by physicians were found to have more “moderate to severe” contamination than those used by PAs (p = .03). No difference was found in the reported frequency of stethoscope cleaning between physicians and PAs. Nearly 25% of the participants reported that they never cleaned their stethoscopes. It is recommended that all health care providers clean their stethoscopes on a daily basis.
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