From: jrfox@no.spam.fastlane.net.no.spam (Jonathan R. Fox)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: contaminated medical devices
Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 04:32:45 GMT

On Tue, 16 Mar 1999 23:55:52 GMT, "3814" <Bowenmed@Suwanneevalley.net>
wrote:

>There is a source of contamination that is used by every healthcare
>worker without regard for it being filthy and contaminated. These
>devices are the blood pressure cuff and stethoscope. Many published
>research all supports that these common instruments are blood and
>microbial contaminated.
>
>There is such a lack of interest in these items. I wonder why such
>ambivelence by the very people thta know better.
>Any thoughts on this?

In the nursuries and neonatal intensive care units at Parkland
Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas, we have become well aware of the
fact that stethoscopes transmit agents easily.  It is the habit of the
medical staff to wipe down their stethoscopes with an antimicrobial
wipe (not just an alcohol pad) between patients.

--
Jonathan R. Fox, M.D.