Cross Sectional study to determine the factors associated with stethoscope hygiene among the health care providers in Tertiary care center.

Dr. Dhananjay Kumar Singh; Dr. Anshu Rai

Volume : IV, Issue : XII, December - 2015

Cross Sectional study to determine the factors associated with stethoscope hygiene among the health care providers in Tertiary care center.

Dr. Dhananjay Kumar Singh, Dr. Anshu Rai

Abstract :

Background: Stethoscopes are commonly used to assess the health of patients and have been reported to be potential vectors for nosocomial infections in various parts of the world. Aims: (1) To determine the frequency of stethoscope cleaning by medical practitioners in tertiary care center. (2) To determine the factors associated with stethoscope cleaning. (3) To determine the methods of cleaning of stethoscope. Setting & Design: It is the hospital based cross–sectional study. Methods & Materials: Data was collected through pretested questionnaire given to health care providers by the investigators. Data collected were analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) 17.0 software. Results & Conclusions: A minority of the respondents (37.7%) reported having ever cleaned their stethoscope. Following normal clinical use, wiping with a dry cloth was the most frequently reported method of cleaning (53.2%). After contamination of diaphragm with blood or secretions, cleaning with an alcoholic swab was the most common method (64.3%).