A clinical study to evaluate the safe and effective use of a new, single use stethoscope cover to enable reduction in pathogen transmission during auscultation.
Front Med (Lausanne)
; 10: 1179145, 2023.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37425319
ABSTRACT
Objectives:
Stethoscopes carry a significant risk for pathogen transmission. Here, the safe use and performance of a new, non-sterile, single-use stethoscope cover (SC), that is impermeable for pathogens, was investigated by different healthcare professionals (HCPs) in the postoperative care setting of an intensive care unit (ICU).Methods:
Fifty-four patients underwent routine auscultations with the use of the SC (Stethoglove®, Stethoglove GmbH, Hamburg, Germany). The participating HCPs (n = 34) rated each auscultation with the SC on a 5-point Likert scale. The mean ratings of acoustic quality and the SC handling were defined as primary and secondary performance endpoint.Results:
534 auscultations with the SC were performed (average 15.7/user) on the lungs (36.1%), the abdomen (33.2%), the heart (28.8%), or other body-sites (1.9%). No adverse device-effects occurred. The acoustic quality was rated at 4.2 ± 0.7 (mean) with a total of 86.1% of all auscultations being rated at least as 4/5, and with no rating as below 2. The SC handling was rated at 3.7 ± 0.8 (mean) with a total of 96.4% of all auscultations being rated at least 3/5.Conclusion:
Using a real-world setting, this study demonstrates that the SC can be safely and effectively used as cover for stethoscopes during auscultation. The SC may therefore represent a useful and easy-to-implement tool for preventing stethoscope-mediated infections.Study Registration EUDAMED no. CIV-21-09-037762.
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Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Front Med (Lausanne)
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Alemanha