TWC News Update

Stethoscopes May Be Spreading Germs & MRSA

  Experts are warning physicians and other healthcare professionals that contaminated stethoscopes may be as dangerous or may be more likely to spread germs and infections, including antibiotic-resistant staph, than are dirty hands.   According to the World Health Organization, stethoscopes should be among those instruments that are disinfected after each patient encounter.    “By considering that stethoscopes are used repeatedly over the course of a day, come directly into contact with patients’ skin, and may harbor several thousands of bacteria collected during a previous physical examination, we consider them as potentially significant vectors of transmission,” said Didier Pittet, MD, MS, director of the infection control program and the WHO Collaborating Centre on Patient Safety at University of Geneva Hospital, Switzerland, and lead author of a study that examined transmission of infectious disease via stethoscopes. “From infection control and patient safety perspectives, the stethoscope should be regarded as an extension of the physician’s hands and be disinfected after every patient contact,” he said.   According to Pittet and his research team, 71 patients were examined by one of three doctors using sterile gloves and a stethoscope.   After each examination, the tube and diaphragm of the stethoscope as well as physicians’ hands were checked for bacteria, with the diaphragm showing more contamination than hands (except fingertips). The tube was also said to be covered in more “bugs” than the back of the hands.   The study is said to be the first to make a direct comparison of bacterial contamination of hands and stethoscopes.

CMS Announces Test Schedule To Aid ICD-10 Conversion

  In an effort to help healthcare providers determine how well they’re progressing toward a transition to ICD-10-CM, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched a series of tests that can be voluntarily completed over the course of the next few months.   The four-part series to the exams launched in early March by allowing providers to send test claims to evaluate potential of acceptance and the adaptability of their facility’s billing system.   End-to-end testing will reportedly be offered this summer with more information expected to be announced by CMS. For more information, visit www.cms.gov/outreach-and-education/medicare-learning-network-mln/mlnmattersarticles/downloads/SE1409.pdf

DFU Expert Earns Amputation Advocacy Award

  Michael Edmonds, MD, a consultant physician at King’s College in London, has been chosen as the 2014 Edward James Olmos Award for Advocacy in Amputation Prevention honoree by the Diabetic Foot Global Conference (DFCon).   A world-renowned expert in the field of diabetes and care of the diabetic foot, and a globally recognized pioneer in utilizing a multidisciplinary approach for treatment, Edmonds opened what’s considered the world’s first diabetic foot clinic in London in 1981.   He has lectured at events around the world, including giving the inaugural Roger Pecoraro Lecture at the American Diabetes Association’s annual meeting. He has also served as co-chairman of an annual conference on the diabetic foot in the United Kingdom (UK) since 1995.   Throughout his career, Edmonds’ work has earned him numerous honors, including the Royal Society of Medicine’s Alan Edwards Memorial Prize for best case presentation and Honorary Fellowship of the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists. He is also a two-time recipient of the King’s College Hospital Commendation for Outstanding Contribution to Patient Care and a member of the award-winning 2007 UK Hospital Doctor Diabetic Team of the Year. Most recently, Edmonds was selected as the Diabetes1 Hero, which honors healthcare professionals for being leaders in their fields of expertise, providing the highest standards of care for patients and impacting their profession on a global scale. He recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Diabetic Foot Study Group of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.   Olmos himself presented Edmonds with the award during DFCon this month.