Observational studyThe American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene2022
Bacterial Contamination of Ultrasound and Stethoscope Surfaces in Low- and High-Resource Settings.
Observational study in The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Ultrasonography in disaster medicine: a narrative review.Insights into imaging · 2026Article
- Augmented-reality enhanced ultrasound guidance: a sterile, hands-free approach using commercial augmented reality headsets.Radiological physics and technology · 2026Article
- ESICM-ESPNIC international expert consensus on quantitative lung ultrasound in intensive care.Intensive care medicine · 2025Article
- Optimizing Ultrasound Probe Disinfection for Healthcare-Associated Infection Control: A Comparative Analysis of Disinfectant Efficacy.Microorganisms · 2024Review
- Monitoring of pulmonary involvement in critically ill COVID-19 patients - should lung ultrasound be preferred over CT?The ultrasound journal · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Point-of-care ultrasound is an accurate diagnostic and monitoring tool. Its increasing affordability, portability, and versatility make it an excellent component of standard clinical evaluation alongside the stethoscope. However, like the stethoscope, ultrasound carries risks of surface contamination and potential cross-infection. In this international observational study, we compared the surface contamination of ultrasound equipment to stethoscopes in two medical centers: a tropical low-resource hospital and academic high-resource hospital. Ultrasound equipment and coupling gel had similar prevalence of microbial surface contamination compared with observed stethoscopes. Most microbes were commensal Gram-positive, but some were opportunistic and pathogenic microbes (such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus). In conclusion, it is crucial to appreciate and reduce the risk of ultrasound device contaminations. When ultrasound is used bedside, similar to stethoscopes, conscientious hygiene measures are equally fundamental.
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Registered trials
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