Study participants: Faculty members, resident doctors, medical students and paramedical personnel who were working in clinical care settings at a tertiary care setting. Study setting: Outpatient department (OPD)/inpatient department (IPD)/intensive care unit (ICU)/nursing stations/operating theatres (OTs) at a tertiary care hospital in Central India where stethoscopes were being used They are a potential vector for nosocomial infections ( Jones et al., 1995) with an increased risk of transmitting antibiotic resistant microorganisms because following contact with the skin, pathogens can attach and establish themselves on the diaphragms/bells of stethoscopes and subsequently be transferred to other patients if the stethoscope is not disinfected regularly. Stethoscopes are an integral part of the physical examination of patients.
HCAIs are caused by bacteria, fungi or viruses through various sources including person-to-person contact via the hands of healthcare providers and visitors, personal equipment, airborne transmission, environmental contamination and colonised hospital staff ( Gastmeier et al., 2005). The impact of HCAI implies prolonged hospital stay, long-term disability, increased resistance of microorganisms to antimicrobials, a massive additional financial burden for health systems, high costs for patients’ families and increased mortality. The risk of HCAI in developing countries is 2–20 times higher than in developed countries ( WHO, 2010).
A survey conducted by the WHO in 55 hospitals across 14 countries revealed an average of 8.7% hospitalised patients suffering from HCAIs.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a healthcare-associated infection (HCAI) as an infection occurring in a patient in a hospital or other healthcare facility, in whom the infection was not present or incubating at the time of admission ( WHO, 2002).
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