Potential of Mobile Phones to Serve as a Reservoir in Spread of Nosocomial Pathogens

TL;DRAbstract

Objective: The use of cellular telephones by medical personnel and the associated nosocomial transmission of pathogens have not been thoroughly examined. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of bacterial colonisation on mobile phones of Healthcare workers (HCWs) and its accompanying resistance to commonly used antimicrobials in a medical and dental hospital in India. Method: A total of 204 mobile phones of HCWs from medical and dental departments were screened. A sterile swab moistened with sterile saline was rotated over the external surface of the phone. Swabs were cultured on 5% sheep blood agar and MacConkey agar plates. Plates were incubated aerobically at 37°C for 24 hours. All isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. A questionnaire was used for data collection on mobile phone use in hospital. Result: 99% of the phones demonstrated evidence of bacterial contamination. 64.8% of medical samples showed growth of pathogenic micro-organisms and 37.

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