Efficacy of a wearable ultraviolet-C light device for semiautomated decontamination of stethoscopes between each use

Stethoscope diaphragms are often contaminated with pathogens such as Clostridioides difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).1–5 Moreover, the frequency of acquisition and transfer of C. difficile and MRSA during patient examinations has been shown to be similar for stethosco...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Infection control and hospital epidemiology 2020-02, Vol.41 (2), p.244-246
Main Authors: Faulx, Greg R, Emig, Erica L, Alhmidi, Heba, Ng-Wong, Yilen K, Mana, Thriveen S C, Cadnum, Jennifer L, Donskey, Curtis J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alcohol
Clostridioides difficile - physiology
Clostridioides difficile - radiation effects
Colony Count, Microbial
Decontamination
Decontamination - instrumentation
Decontamination - methods
Disinfection & disinfectants
Humans
Light emitting diodes
Medical instruments
Mercury
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus - physiology
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus - radiation effects
Nursing
Pathogens
Staphylococcus infections
Stethoscopes - microbiology
Test methods
Ultraviolet Rays
Wearable Electronic Devices
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Summary:Stethoscope diaphragms are often contaminated with pathogens such as Clostridioides difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).1–5 Moreover, the frequency of acquisition and transfer of C. difficile and MRSA during patient examinations has been shown to be similar for stethoscopes and hands.1,2 Applying hand sanitizer to stethoscopes or wiping with alcohol or disinfectant wipes or swabs can reduce bacterial contamination.1,6 However, stethoscopes are rarely cleaned in clinical practice.6 Recently, Messina et al7 reported the development of a wearable device that provides semiautomated decontamination of stethoscope diaphragms with light-emitting diode (LED)–generated ultraviolet C (UV-C) light between each use. The mean number of MRSA colonies was reduced from 4 to 0.08 (P = .045). [...]20 MRSA-colonized patients participated in the assessment of the efficacy of alcohol pads in removing MRSA. The device uses UV-C generated by an LED, which is well-suited for decontamination of small items in close proximity to the UV-C source due to its compact size.7 LEDs have other potential advantages, including lower energy requirement, long lifespan, minimal warm-up time, and absence of mercury.7 Our study has some limitations.
ISSN:0899-823X
1559-6834
DOI:10.1017/ice.2019.324