Prevalence and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern of Bacteria Isolated from Mobile Phones of Health Care Professionals Working in Gondar Town Health Centers
Background. Mobile phones of health professionals can harbor various potential pathogens and become exogenous sources of infection for the patients, self, and family members. This study assessed the frequency and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of bacteria from mobile phones of health care workers. Methods. In this crosssectional study a total of 58 health care professionals mobile phones were swabbed before and after decontamination with 70% alcohol and assessed for contamination with bacteria. Bacterial isolation, identification, and antimicrobial susceptibility test was done as per the standard procedures. Results. About 98% of the mobile phones assessed in this study were contaminated with bacteria. Coagulase negative Staphylococci, S. aureus, and E. coli were the most frequently isolated bacteria. Decontamination with 70% alcohol significantly decreased the rate of contamination from 98.3% to 55.2% . About 17% of the isolates were resistant to two drugs. Conclusion. Appropriate infection prevention measures should be taken to minimize the risk that could be associated with mobile phones since the rate of contamination was high. Decontamination with 70% alcohol was effective in minimizing bacterial contamination of mobile phones so it should be used as a decontaminant agent for these apparatuses. 1. Introduction Mobile phones have become part of health professional’s equipment and are used extensively for communication in a clinical setting [1]. Innovations in mobile communication have led to better patient control of diabetes and asthma and increased uptake of vaccinations by travelers reminded by short message service (SMS) [2]. However, they are seldom cleaned and are often touched during or after examination of patients and handling of specimens without proper hand washing. These cell phones can harbor various potential pathogens and become exogenous sources of infection for the patients and are also potential health hazard for self and family members [3, 4]. Further, sharing of cell phones between HCWs and non-HCWs may directly facilitate the spread of potentially pathogenic bacteria to the community [5]. Nosocomial infections constitute a major problem globally with major social, economic, moral, and personal effects that increase morbidity and mortality of hospitalized patients [6]. It is estimated that between 5% and 10% of patients admitted to hospitals acquire HAI, but recent data suggest that this figure is on the rise [7]. The extended duration of hospital admission and extra drugs or medical management may contribute to additional
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