Help stop the spread of infection with the new StethoCLEANTM barrier protection for stethoscopes.
In today's fast paced clinical environment the stethoscope is rarely cleaned and can harbor potentially harmful bacteria. By using the StethoCLEANTM cover from St. Joseph Solutions, LLC. you significantly reduce the risk of patient to patient exposure from contaminated stethoscopes.
Once this reaches the general population, it will be truly unstoppable," said Binh Diep, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco who led the study. "That's why we're trying to spread the message of prevention." This superbug can cause life-threatening and disfiguring infections and can often only be treated with expensive, intravenous antibiotics.
"Doctors almost never wash their stethoscopes. Out of 150 stethoscopes tested, 133 (88%) were found to harbor staph bacteria!"
Newsletter - Spring 2005
As a Cardiovascular Thorasic Surgeon, I am acutely aware that any post-operative infections can be deadly. I believe that covering the stethoscope will provide protection for both the patient and the healthcare worker. Doctors will use it because we care about our patients and its the right thing to do. Patients will also demand it. The time has arrived that implementation will become as universal as the use of disposable gloves. StethoCLEANTM is a much needed addition to the universal precautions that are now utilized during patient care in the clinical care setting.
Medical Info Release
In 2003, CDC and HICPAC released recommendations for cleaning and disinfecting strategies for environmental surfaces in patient care areas which included the following:
Use barrier protective coverings as appropriate for non-critical equipment surfaces that are
- Touched frequently with gloved hands during the delivery of patient care
- Likely to become contaminated with blood or body substances
- Difficult to clean (e.g., computer keyboards). Category II
Category II. Suggested for implementation and supported by suggestive clinical or epidemiologic studies, or theoretical rationale.
References extracted from CDC and HICPAC 2003 release Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities page 117 section
B and 133 Section E-1-D-3. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/enviro/Enviro_guide_03.pdf
