Bacterial contamination of fabric stethoscope covers: the velveteen rabbit of health care?

To determine if fabric stethoscope covers pose an infection control problem, we studied how they are cared for by our healthcare workers and performed microbiological investigations on 22 covers collected over a 3-week period. Our study suggests that fabric stethoscope covers represent a potential infection control problem because they are used for prolonged periods, are infrequently laundered, and are contaminated with bacteria.