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Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology Publication Info

Article DOI: 10.1086/501840
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/501840
Bacterial Contamination of Fabric Stethoscope Covers: The Velveteen Rabbit of Health Care? • 
Michael W. Milam , MD, Melanie Hall , RN, ICP, Teri Pringle , MT and Kay Buchanan , PhD (ABMM)
Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology , Vol. 22, No. 10 (October 2001), pp. 653-655
Article DOI: 10.1086/501840
Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/501840
Concise Communications

Bacterial Contamination of Fabric Stethoscope Covers: The Velveteen Rabbit of Health Care?

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Abstract(back to top)

To determine if fabric stethoscope covers pose an infection control problem, we studied how they are cared for by our healthcare workers and performed microbiological investigations on 22 covers collected over a 3‐week period. Our study suggests that fabric stethoscope covers represent a potential infection control problem because they are used for prolonged periods, are infrequently laundered, and are contaminated with bacteria.

Bibliographic Information(back to top)

  • Bacterial Contamination of Fabric Stethoscope Covers: The Velveteen Rabbit of Health Care?
  • Michael W. Milam , MD, Melanie Hall , RN, ICP, Teri Pringle , MT and Kay Buchanan , PhD (ABMM)
  • Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
  • Vol. 22, No. 10 (October 2001) (pp. 653-655)

Author Information(back to top)

Michael W. Milam , MD; Melanie Hall , RN, ICP; Teri Pringle , MT; Kay Buchanan , PhD (ABMM)

Notes and References(back to top)

This item contains 1 note(s).

Notes

Health Care System, Sarasota, Florida.Address reprint requests to Michael W. Milam, MD, 1425 S Osprey Ave, Suite 1, Sarasota, FL 3439.00‐OA‐253. Milam MW, Hall M, Pringle T, Buchanan K. Bacterial contamination of fabric stethoscope covers: the Velveteen Rabbit of health care? Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2001;22:653‐655.

© 2001 by The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. All rights reserved.