PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Chiarlitti, Nathan
AU  - Graves, Zachary
AU  - Lavoie, Curtis
AU  - Reid, Ryan E. R.
TI  - Does Examination Table Paper Use Mitigate the Risk of Disease Transmission in a Family Medicine Clinic?
AID  - 10.1370/afm.3092
DP  - 2024 May 01
TA  - The Annals of Family Medicine
PG  - 230--232
VI  - 22
IP  - 3
4099  - http://www.annfammed.org/content/22/3/230.short
4100  - http://www.annfammed.org/content/22/3/230.full
SO  - Ann Fam Med2024 May 01; 22
AB  - Reducing examination table paper (ETP) use may help curb carbon emissions from health care. Six participants applied Glo Germ (DMA International) to their hands before a common physical examination (abdominal, cardiorespiratory, hip and knee) both with and without ETP. After each exam, UV light was shined on the exam table and photographs were taken. The number of hand touches on ETP-covered areas and uncovered areas were tallied and compared using t tests. Despite covering more surface area, participants touched areas without ETP significantly more than ETP-covered areas (P <.05). Despite its continued use, patients do not have much hand contact with ETP during common clinical examinations.