PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Colin Charnock TI - Swabbing of waiting room magazines reveals only low levels of bacterial contamination DP - 2005 Jan 01 TA - British Journal of General Practice PG - 37--39 VI - 55 IP - 510 4099 - http://bjgp.org/content/55/510/37.short 4100 - http://bjgp.org/content/55/510/37.full SO - Br J Gen Pract2005 Jan 01; 55 AB - Previous studies have shown that toys in waiting rooms of general practice surgeries can be contaminated with potentially pathogenic bacteria. The question was raised as to whether magazines might also be sources of contamination. Swabbing of the front page of 15 magazines from 11 general practice surgeries, followed by analysis for total and specific bacteria, revealed low levels of contamination. Among targeted groups of pathogens only two colonies of Staphylococcus aureus were detected. Magazines do not seem to be potentially important vectors of bacterial transfer in the setting examined.