About the Author
Daniel J. Hannula
Dan Hannula is a partner at Rush, Hannula, Harkins & Kyler, PLLC, in Tacoma, Washington, with more than 40 years of trial experience representing plaintiffs in medical negligence and catastrophic injury cases. He was named the 2025 Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Washington Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He has been elected to the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American Board of Trial Advocates and has served as president of the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association. His work brings a legal perspective to patient safety, standards of care, and healthcare accountability.
The stethoscope has come under scrutiny as a vector for infection, particularly with the emergence of COVID-19.
A novel, aseptic barrier system from AseptiScope™ prevents pathogen transmission...
Opinion Editorial #4 by Cynthia Cadwell - Protect Your Patient - "Adding a touch-free stethoscope barrier dispenser in these locations will decrease stethoscope contamination. Goal: 'Do No Harm'."...
Opinion Editorial #3 by Frank Peacock, IV, MD, FACEP, FACC, FESC - Stethoscope Contamination: What We Haven’t Learned in 150 Years - "Unfortunately, the apparent standard of care is to rub dirty...
Opinion Editorial #2 by Sandra Sieck, RN - HEALTHCARE ASSOCIATED INFECTION: “Equivalent to a large commercial airliner falling out of the sky with no survivors, each and every day”...
Opinion Editorial #1 by Stuart B. Kipper, MD - "Infection Control and the Clinician's Third Hand - a Long Standing Problem"...
"AseptiScope, Inc. and clinical researchers from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine announce study results that confirm aseptic medical grade barriers, when applied to...
"Tom, a highly regarded leader in the biotech start-up community and serial entrepreneur, has a proven track record of successfully forming healthcare organizations, building and revitalizing...
"A new study demonstrates that practitioner stethoscopes are contaminated by a plethora of bacteria, including organisms that may be associated with nosocomial infections. Importantly, cleaning...
"Health care-associated infections (HAIs) post a significant danger to hospitalized patients. In 2011, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that there were 75,000...
“Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), or infections acquired while receiving care within a medical facility, pose a significant risk to patients”...
AseptiScope® announces it is advancing its innovative medical device to reduce stethoscope contamination that two large U.S. studies, published last week, confirm pose a significant health risk...
“Observation of Stethoscope Sanitation Practices in the Emergency Department” The latest presented data confirming that, despite 30 years of accrued evidence of contamination, stethoscope hygiene...
“Increasing Tolerance of Hospital Enterococcus faecium to Handwash Alcohols” has demonstrated what many have expected for some time; bacterial adaptations are challenging infection control protocols...
In this recent publication, the authors reinforce that 70-100% of stethoscopes are contaminated, and a clear need exists for strategies to alter physician recognition and behavior for stethoscope...
“To curb infections, hospitals are setting more rigorous hygiene standards, focusing on commonplace equipment such as stethoscopes and blood-pressure cuffs, which can collect bacteria and potentially...
By Daniel J. Hannula In our article, “Third-Hand Hygiene,” in the American Association for Justice’s Trial® magazine, my co-authors, quality and patient safety expert Cynthia Cadwell and Baylor...
ICU nurses who became infection preventionists integrated The DiskCover System into a 48-month prevention bundle, finding it easy to use, well accepted, and effective in eliminating central line...
Cancer patient Pamela Lessenberry shares why consistent stethoscope hygiene matters for immunocompromised patients and how visible infection prevention builds trust. The Reality of Infection Risk...
MRSA survivor Bill Schmelzer shares his story and the unanswered question behind his infection, and why overlooked vectors like stethoscope diaphragms demand attention. A Routine Surgery That Wasn’t...
Why Patients Pay Attention to Hospital Cleanliness and Infection Prevention Patients today are more attentive than ever to the cleanliness of their healthcare environment. Research examining patient...
Why Stethoscope Hygiene Matters for Patient Safety For many patients, the stethoscope is one of the most recognizable symbols of healthcare. It is also one of the most frequently used diagnostic tools...
The Stethoscope as the Clinician’s “Third Hand” For patients, the consequences of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) can be serious. HAIs can lead to longer hospital stays, additional treatments...
“Useless. Cheaply made, but not cheap to procure. Can’t hear a thing out of them. ‘Fisher-Price’ toys!” These are the common reactions we get from clinicians when we ask...
Opinion Editorial #7 by Dr. Sarathi Kalra - Protect Your Patient - "Studies show the DiskCover aseptic barriers are effective in preventing patient exposure to harmful pathogens and contaminants while...