All invasive procedures involve contact by a medical device or surgical instrument with a patient's sterile tissue or mucous membranes. The level of disinfection or sterilization is dependent on the intended use of the object: critical (items that contact sterile tissue such as surgical instruments), semicritical (items that contact mucous membrane such as endoscopes), and noncritical (devices ...

7. Zachary KC, Bayne PS, Morrison VJ, Ford DS, Silver LC, Hooper DC. Contamination of gowns, gloves, and stethoscopes with vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2001;22:560-564. 8. Schaffzin JK, Southwick KL, Clement EJ, et al. Transmission of hepatitis B virus associated with assisted monitoring of blood glucose at an assisted living facility in New York State. Am J I...

A study of contemporary book reviews and other notices enables us to trace the reception of the stethoscope and Laënnec's book between 1816 and 1826. It is quite clear from these that the stethoscope was welcomed with enthusiasm by most people who saw it as the first major diagnostic tool medicine had ever had. Laënnec's book was recognised as being the most important, interesting, accurate, an...