Jovanovic, Ana (57211725249)Ana (57211725249)JovanovicPaunovic, Katarina (8412749700)Katarina (8412749700)PaunovicErcegovac, Marko (7006226257)Marko (7006226257)ErcegovacPopovic, Dusan (37028828200)Dusan (37028828200)PopovicDavidovic, Dragana (13614022900)Dragana (13614022900)Davidovic2025-06-122025-06-122024https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2023.08.006https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85171832324&doi=10.1016%2fj.ajic.2023.08.006&partnerID=40&md5=289949c39dbf15cc446417464311cfd6https://remedy.med.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/1349Background: A significant reduction in bacterial growth on stethoscope membranes has been noticed after performing daily disinfection. Nevertheless, disinfection is rarely performed. We aimed to assess self-reported stethoscope disinfection practices among medical doctors, detect bacterial contamination on personal stethoscopes, and estimate the effectiveness of 70% ethanol as a stethoscope disinfecting agent. Methods: To determine stethoscope disinfection practices, participants filled out a questionnaire (N = 47), followed by providing stethoscopes for bacterial analysis. Differences in bacterial contamination were observed through the self-reported frequency and method of stethoscope disinfection. The effect of disinfecting with 70% ethanol was evaluated by comparing the presence of bacterial growth before and after disinfection. Results: The presence of bacterial growth was found in 78.7% of the stethoscope samples, with the median (interquartile range) number of colony-forming units at 25 (10-105). The frequency of disinfection greatly impacted the number of colony-forming units, and the method affected the presence of bacterial growth. Disinfection of stethoscope membranes using 70% ethanol resulted in a compelling 97.3% reduction of bacterial growth. Conclusions: Adequate stethoscope disinfection is highly efficient in reducing bacterial contamination and as such should be considered a critical step in hygienic practices. © 2023 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc.Bacterial growthHealth care–associated infectionsStethoscope hygiene