In health care, written documentation plays an important role, especially since detailed records are essential for the traceability of patient care and treatment. Both ballpoint pens for paper documentation and touch pens for digital devices are frequently used as helpful utensils here. A team of researchers found, however, that there was hardly anything in the scientific literature on pens and their potential to act as a reservoir for pathogens. They therefore conducted a two-stage practical study to investigate if pens can play a noteworthy role as a transmission vehicle for resistant bacteria– and came up with remarkable results.
