Can J Emerg Med
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Examination of staphylococcal stethoscope contamination in the emergency department (pilot) study (EXSSCITED pilot study).
The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Staphylococcus-contaminated stethoscopes belonging to emergency department (ED) staff and to identify the proportion of these that were Staphylococcus aureus or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). ⋯ This study indicates that although stethoscope contamination rates in these EDs are high, the prevalence of S. aureus or MRSA on stethoscopes is low.