Vaginal bacteria can trigger recurrent UTIs, study shows – Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
How Dirty Is That Stethoscope? There Are Bacteria That Can Cause Disease
What's on that stethoscope? (Photo: Getty Images)
GettyRoxette and D.H.T. Sang, "listen to your heart." But if a stethoscope is used to do so, what bacteria may be calling for you?
Determining the types of bacteria found on stethoscopes was the goal of a study just published in the journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. The abbreviation for this journal is ICHE, which many readers pronounce "itchy." While this study may not make you feel itchy, it could make you feel a little icky.
That's because DNA testing done by a team from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine found lots o' bacteria on stethoscopes used by doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists in an intensive care unit (ICU). This wasn't just the fun-loving, "I'm OK, you're OK," Barney-type of bacteria. The researchers detected a number of different bacteria types that could cause bad healthcare-associated infections (HAI), such as Staphylococcus aureus. That's not the kind of bacteria that you want hanging around people in the ICU who are very sick and have weakened immune systems.
Of those tested, the stethoscopes with the most bacteria on average were the twenty carried around by doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists and repeatedly used on different patients. The twenty disposable single-use stethoscopes in patient rooms had comparatively less bacteria. However both types of used stethoscopes had much more bacteria than the ten clean new stethoscopes that were tested.
Did cleaning these used stethoscopes with hydrogen peroxide wipes, alcohol swabs, or bleach wipes get rid of the unwanted bacterial groupies? Somewhat, but not down to the bacterial levels of spanking new clean stethoscopes.
Are these results really that surprising? In a word, no. In two words, no, no. This certainly wasn't the first study to show that stethoscopes can be covered with bacteria that can cause disease. Just look at the titles of earlier published studies such as "Predictors of Heavy Stethoscope Contamination Following a Physical Examination" and "What's Growing on General Practitioner's Stethoscope?
Previous studies have shown that white coats, neckties, and smartphones can also be covered in... [+] disease-causing bacteria. (Photo: Getty Images)
GettyPlus, as previous studies, such as this one published in the American Journal of Infection Control, have demonstrated, doctors and other health professionals frequently forget to clean their stethoscopes or use cleaning techniques that are not every effective. What's new about this "itchy" study is that it used molecular analysis to more extensively profile the diverse gangs of bacteria that can live on stethoscopes. Such gangs included Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Clostridium, Enterococcus, Stenotrophomonas, and Burkholderia species, all of which could cause disease.
What's the scope of this stethoscope issue? Well, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) continue to be a big problem, as in around $20 billion in healthcare costs each year big. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates, somewhere between 5% and 10% of all hospitalized patients in the U.S. End up getting some kind of HAI. Each year in U.S. Hospitals, there are approximately 1.7 million HAIs and 99,000 deaths from HAIs.
It is unclear how many of these HAIs are caused by dirty stethoscopes. It can be difficult to pinpoint a stethoscope as the cause of an HAI, because frankly there are a lot of bacteria-covered things in the hospital. For example, a systematic review previously published in ICHE summarized the results of 72 studies that demonstrated common items in the health care settings, such as white coats, neckties, stethoscopes, and mobile electronic devices, are often contaminated with potentially disease causing germs such as Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant S. Aureus, gram-negative rods, and enterococci.
This calls for better and more effective ways to clean stethoscopes and help health professionals to do so. For example, a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control suggested that a stronger chemical, chlorhexidine, be used to clean stethoscopes. Other studies have looked at the use of ultraviolet light. Moreover, health professionals may need more time in between patients to make sure that their equipment is clean. In the meantime, if a doctor, nurse, or health professional is about to use a stethoscope on you, you may want to ask if it has been adequately cleaned first. After all, since that stethoscope may go on your chest, there are things that you may want off your chest.
Jake Gyllenhaal Got A Staph Infection Filming 'Road House': How To Lower Your Risk
Jake Gyllenhaal has revealed he contracted a staph infection while shooting his latest movie.
Chatting on Dax Shephard's Armchair Expert podcast alongside his co-star Conor McGregor, Gyllenhaal shared that while filming a fight scene for Road House, he cut his hand, and it resulted in a staph infection.
Recalling the scene, he said: "We're fighting on the floor, fighting around tables, we're fighting around glass."
During the scene, the actor sustained an injury when he placed his hand on glass. "I felt the glass going in my hand. I remember the feeling [and] went, 'That's a lot of glass," he shared.
Gyllenhaal hurt himself while filming another portion of the film. "I thought [the infection] came from, remember that scene where you come with a piece of wood?" he asked McGregor.
"I grabbed your arm, and I thought, 'Oh, maybe I'm injured.' But my whole arm swelled up. It ended up being staph."
Staph infections are common, and in some cases, they can be serious. However, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of infection following an injury.
"All of us have staphylococci bacteria and other bacteria on our skin. This is normal and healthy and part of our microbiome," explains Daniel D. Rhoads, vice chair of the College of American Pathologists Microbiology Committee.
"What can become a problem is when the skin's integrity is compromised, and the bacteria that are normally on the surface of our skin can now contaminate deeper tissue where bacteria do not belong."
Sometimes this compromise in the skin can be imperceivable, like a minor cut or small abrasion that you do not even notice. Other times, the compromise is more obvious, as it was for Gyllenhaal.
Either way, Rhoads says, when we have a cut or abrasion, there is always a risk that bacteria from our skin (in this case, Staphylococcus aureus, also known as S. Aureus) or from the environment could not only contaminate the exposed tissue but could also start growing.
This is a staph infection, and it triggers the body's immune response, resulting in calor, dolor, rubor, and tumor.
"Mr. Gyllenhaal described his arm swelling up. That swelling is "tumor." I would bet that his arm was also red (rubor), hot (calor), and painful (dolor)," Rhoads explains.
Staph infections can range in severity. When a bacterial infection like this starts spreading from the local site of the tissue damage toward the middle of the body, Rhoads says it's "bad news" because it means the immune system is having a hard time curtailing the infection.
Dr. Linda Yancey, infectious disease specialist at Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston has a helpful analogy in understanding the varying degrees of infection.
"To say "Staph infection" is like saying "traffic accident." They range from fender benders to sixteen-car pileups and everything in between," she explains.
"Most Staph infections are minor and resolve on their own, but the more severe ones require medical care."
Staph infections on the mild end of the spectrum will usually present with a little pain and swelling. Often, the immune system is able to fend off the infection, and it will go away without medical or surgical intervention.
However, that's not always the case. "Staph infections are most concerning when they are spreading quickly, and symptoms transition from local tissue inflammation to systemic symptoms, for example, chills and increased rate of breathing," Rhoads warns.
In the most extreme cases, which were much more common before we had antibiotics, Rhoads says severe local infections can spread to cause a systemic infection and then death.
It can be challenging to prevent staph infections, given that the bacteria that causes them is already present on the skin. However, Yancey says good hygiene is the cornerstone of good health.
It's important to regularly – and thoroughly – wash your hands. You should also shower after physical activity. These steps can keep cuts clean and reduce the risk of infection.
Rhoads says, "It's good to wash cuts and abrasions with soap and water to try to remove bacteria and debris that could be contaminating a new wound."
You should also keep any open wounds covered to stop bacteria from entering the skin.
Meanwhile, sharing towels, razors, and other pieces of personal equipment, such as makeup brushes, is a big no-no.
"People who share sports equipment, for example football teams, should ensure that equipment is cleaned and sanitized between uses," Yancey adds. The same rings true if you exercise in a public place, like a gym.
If you are concerned about a staph infection, Yancey says your first step should be your primary care provider.
"However, if the infection you are concerned about is a boil or abscess, urgent care or an emergency room is a better choice as they will have the equipment to drain it if needed."
It's essential you seek medical assistance if you notice the infection is getting worse and is spreading quickly or if it's accompanied by fever, headache, neck stiffness, and/or chest pain, rapid heart, and trouble breathing.
Oftentimes, staph infections can be treated with antibiotics, though sometimes surgery may be required.
Staph infections happen when bacteria enter the body via a cut or abrasion. They can be mild and clear up on their own.
However, staph infections can also be serious and life threatening. If you're concerned, you should consult a medical professional straight away.
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