The image of a doctor with a stethoscope hanging around the neck may seem iconic, but in fact, this image may not last much longer, as hand-held ultrasound devices are predicted to replace ...

Though doctors may disinfect their hands to prevent spreading illness, there may be another bacteria-ridden object they have on them that doesn't get the same cleaning treatment: their stethoscopes. A ...

For the study, researchers analyzed the DNA of bacterial populations found on 40 stethoscopes in one hospital’s intensive care unit, including 20 reusable scopes used by practitioners and 20 ...

In recent years, it's become painfully clear to everyone working in medicine that frequent hand washing is crucial to stopping the spread of infection in hospital settings. Nowadays, every hospital ...

Although health systems have reported a decrease in infections associated with medical devices in recent decades, transmission risk of hospital-acquired infections from environmental surfaces and ...

Stethoscopes tend to be more contaminated than the palms of physicians' hands, new research shows. In a recent Swiss study, researchers discovered that more bacteria cover a stethoscope's diaphragm ...

Stethoscopes never get cleaned between patients, new research suggests. In 128 observations between doctors and patients over one week, stethoscopes were never once disinfected, a study found. This is ...

It is an invaluable tool that every medical student must learn to use, but it could end up getting you sick. A new study published in the Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of ...

Stethoscopes used in an intensive care unit (ICU) are loaded with bacteria, including those that may be associated with hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), new data show. Moreover, standard cleaning ...

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – A new study from a University of Pennsylvania professor reveals that stethoscopes are loaded with bacteria, including ones that can cause health care-associated infections. The ...