A recent preliminary study by Merlin et. al entitled “Prevalence of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus on the Stethoscopes of Emergency Medical Services Providers (abstract) showed that on average one in three EMS professionals are using stethoscopes with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Their first study involved 50 EMS providers, 16 of whom came back after 72 hours with MRSA-infected stethoscopes, and another 16 (unclear as to whether or not they were the same) declaring that they were unsure of the last time they had cleaned their stethoscope.

As such it seems likely that the longer one takes, the more likely it is for unwanted and unsuspecting transmission of virulent agents to occur. As professional healthcare providers, the last thing we want to do is start transmitting diseases that cause infections to unsuspecting patients.

Categories: EMS, Proper Practices
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