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      Are we aware how contaminated our mobile phones with nosocomial pathogens?

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          Abstract

          Background

          The objective of this study was to determine the contamination rate of the healthcare workers' (HCWs') mobile phones and hands in operating room and ICU. Microorganisms from HCWs' hands could be transferred to the surfaces of the mobile phones during their use.

          Methods

          200 HCWs were screened; samples from the hands of 200 participants and 200 mobile phones were cultured.

          Results

          In total, 94.5% of phones demonstrated evidence of bacterial contamination with different types of bacteria. The gram negative strains were isolated from mobile phones of 31.3% and the ceftazidime resistant strains from the hands were 39.5%. S. aureus strains isolated from mobile phones of 52% and those strains isolated from hands of 37.7% were methicillin resistant. Distributions of the isolated microorganisms from mobile phones were similar to hands isolates. Some mobile phones were contaminated with nosocomial important pathogens.

          Conclusion

          These results showed that HCWs' hands and their mobile phones were contaminated with various types of microorganisms. Mobile phones used by HCWs in daily practice may be a source of nosocomial infections in hospitals.

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          Comparative surface-to-hand and fingertip-to-mouth transfer efficiency of gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, and phage.

          Andrew S Maxwell, Richard Rusin, C Gerba (2001)
          To determine the transfer efficiency of micro-organisms from fomites to hands and the subsequent transfer from the fingertip to the lip. Volunteers hands were sampled after the normal usage of fomites seeded with a pooled culture of a Gram-positive bacterium (Micrococcus luteus), a Gram-negative bacterium (Serratia rubidea) and phage PRD-1 (Period A). Activities included wringing out a dishcloth/sponge, turning on/off a kitchen faucet, cutting up a carrot, making hamburger patties, holding a phone receiver, and removing laundry from the washing machine. Transfer efficiencies were 38.47% to 65.80% and 27.59% to 40.03% for the phone receiver and faucet, respectively. Transfer efficiencies from porous fomites were <0.01%. In most cases, M.luteus was transferred most efficiently, followed by phage PRD-1 and S. rubidea. When the volunteers' fingertips were inoculated with the pooled organisms and held to the lip area (Period B), transfer rates of 40.99%, 33.97%, and 33.90% occurred with M. luteus, S. rubidea, and PRD-1, respectively. The highest bacteral transfer rates from fomites to the hands were seen with the hard, non-porous surfaces. Even with low transfer rates, the numbers of bacteria transferred to the hands were still high (up to 10(6) cells). Transfer of bacteria from the fingertip to the lip is similar to that observed from hard surfaces to hands. Infectious doses of pathogens may be transferred to the mouth after handling an everyday contaminated household object.
          Article 0 comments Cited 80 times – based on 0 reviews     Review now
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            Computer keyboards and faucet handles as reservoirs of nosocomial pathogens in the intensive care unit.

            W Berg, Geoff Parker, S Bures … (2000)
            We postulate that computer keyboards and faucet handles are significant reservoirs of nosocomial pathogens in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting. Sterile swab samples were obtained from 10 keyboards and 8 pairs of faucet handles in the medical ICU at Tripler Army Medical Center during a period of 2 months. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) obtained from the environmental and patient specimens were sent for DNA identification by using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. A total of 144 samples were obtained (80 keyboards and 64 faucet handles), yielding 33 isolates. The colonization rate for keyboards was 24% for all rooms and 26% in occupied rooms. Rates for faucet handles in all rooms and occupied rooms were 11% and 15%, respectively. The environmental isolates annd their prevalence were: MRS, 49%; Enterococcus, 18%; Enterobacter, 12%; and all other gram-negative rods, 21%. Fourteen individual patient isolates were recorded: MRSA, 43%; Enterobacter, 21%; other gram-negative rods, 36%; and Enterococcus, 0%. By using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, an indistinguishable strain of MRSA was identified in two patients, the keyboards and faucet handles in their respective rooms, and on other keyboards throughout the ICU, including the doctors' station. The colonization rate for keyboards and faucet handles, novel and unrecognized fomites, is greater than that of other well-studied ICU surfaces in rooms with patients positive for MRSA. Our findings suggest an associated pattern of environmental contamination and patient infection, not limited to the patient's room. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis results have documented an indistinguishable strain of MRSA present as an environmental contaminant on these two fomites and in two patients with clinical infections patients during the same period. We believe these findings add evidence to support the hypothesis that these particular surfaces may serve as reservoirs of nosocomial pathogens and vectors for cross-transmission in the ICU setting. New infection control policies and engineering plans were initiated on the basis of our results.
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              Is your phone bugged? The incidence of bacteria known to cause nosocomial infection on healthcare workers' mobile phones.

              Shane C. McAllister, W. Stirling, A. Wasson … (2005)
              Article 0 comments Cited 36 times – based on 0 reviews     Review now
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Journal ID (nlm-ta): Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob
                Title: Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials
                Publisher: BioMed Central
                ISSN (Electronic): 1476-0711
                Publication date Collection: 2009
                Publication date (Electronic): 6 March 2009
                Volume: 8
                Page: 7
                Affiliations
                [1 ]Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Kurupelit, 55139, Samsun, Turkey
                [2 ]Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Kurupelit, 55139, Samsun, Turkey
                [3 ]Department of Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Kurupelit, 55139, Samsun, Turkey
                Article
                Publisher ID: 1476-0711-8-7
                DOI: 10.1186/1476-0711-8-7
                PMC ID: 2655280
                PubMed ID: 19267892
                SO-VID: f23c9d61-808d-4a1c-a0ff-a65ed872c9d4
                Copyright © Copyright © 2009 Ulger et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
                License:

                This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

                History
                Date received : 19 December 2008
                Date accepted : 6 March 2009
                Categories
                Subject: Research

                ScienceOpen disciplines: Infectious disease & Microbiology
                Data availability:
                ScienceOpen disciplines: Infectious disease & Microbiology

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