Healthcare workers mobile phone usage: A potential risk for viral contamination. Surveillance pilot study

The main aim of our study was to verify the effectiveness of simple disinfection using wet wipes for reduction of microbial contamination of mobile phones and computer keyboards. Bacteriological swabs were taken before and after disinfection with disinfectant wipes with active ingredients chlorhexidine digluconate and triclosan. The incidence and type of microorganisms isolated before and after disinfection was evaluated; the difference was expressed as percentage of contamination reduction. Our results confirmed the high degree of surface contamination with bacteria, some of which are opportunistic pathogens for humans. Before the process of disinfection, on both surfaces, mobile phones, and computer keyboards, the common skin commensal bacteria like coagulase-negative staphylococci were diagnosed most frequently. On the keyboards, species of the genus Bacillus and representatives of the family Enterobacteriaceae were abundant. The potentially pathogenic species were represented by Staphylococcus aureus. Cultivation of swabs performed 5 min after disinfection and subsequent calculation of the reduction of contamination have shown that simple wiping with antibacterial wet wipe led to a significant reduction of microbial contamination of surfaces, with effect ranging from 36.8 to 100%.

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“…Except for bacterial contamination, Candida spp. [ 30 ] or even viruses [ 31 ] can also be transmitted by the mentioned devices.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Degree of Bacterial Contamination of Mobile Phone and Computer Keyboard Surfaces and Efficacy of Disinfection with Chlorhexidine Digluconate and Triclosan to Its Reduction

Koščová

Hurníková

Pistl

2018

IJERPH

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“…In a study, 10% of phones which were tested had viral pathogens. 17 Studies have also reported medical students to have four times higher odds of having heavy growth of microbes on their mobile phones. 11 These findings are particularly important, given the evidence in a recent review, which included 22 studies, that coronavirus can survive on inanimate surfaces like metal, glass or plastic surface for 2 hours to 9 days, and that high temperature such as 30°C or 40°C reduced the duration of persistence.…”

Section: Covid-19 Mobile Phones and Disease Epidemiologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Covid-19 and mobile phone hygiene in healthcare settings

et al. 2020

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confidence: 99%

“…Hospital environment is one of the most favorable for colonization of air and environmental objects with conditionally pathogenic and pathogenic microorganisms [10,11]. Via airborne, community-acquired, fecal-oral routes and transmissions, causative agents of infectious diseases get into environment of medical organizations from patients [10]. Ac-cumulation and circulation of microorganisms in the air and on the objects of medical premises can subsequently become a source of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) [1,3,10,13].…”

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confidence: 99%

“…According to recent data, in the structure of HAI causative organisms of bacterial nature, the conditionally pathogenic and rare-ly pathogenic microflora is prevalent. References are made more often to gram-positive flora of Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Bacillus, Clostridium Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Bacillus, Clostridium stem [5,6,8,11,13,14], gram-negative flora of Enterobacteriacea family, non-fermentative bacteria of Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter stem [4,7,11,12,[15][16][17], yeast and molds [13] and viruses, particularly B, C, D hepatitis viruses, noroviruses, respiratory syncitial viruses, rhinoviruses, coronaviruses, adenoviruses, enteroviruses and others [9,10]. The up-to-date Russian practical policies do not regulate content of the above kinds of microorganisms under the existing sanitary rules and hygienic standards.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Analysis of risk for infections related to providing medical assistance

Badamshina¹,

Ziatdinov²,

Isaeva³

et al. 2017

Health Risk Analysis

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Our research goal was to assess risks for infections related to providing medical assistance in places where air samples conform or don't conform to hygienic standards as per microbiological parameters. We performed bacteriological and mycological examination of air samples (n=44) in a medical organization (inside it) in conformity with methodical guidelines "Techniques for sanitary-bacteriologic examination of environmental objects, air, and sterility control in medical organizations" and sanitary rules and standards "Sanitary-epidemiologic requirements to organizations dealing with medical activities". We identified all types of microorganisms detected in air samples using conventional microbiological techniques. Bacteria belonging to 3 families, 4 stems, and 7 species, were detected in samples deviating from standards; bacteria of 7 families, 9 stems, and 12 species, were detected in samples conforming to standards. We found a great species variety of molds and bacteria such as staphylococcus spp., Micrococcus spp., Acinetobacter spp., Neisseria spp., Pausterella spp., Stenotrophamonas spp., which were considered to be conditionally pathogenic and causing infections related to providing medical assistance. We calculated relative risks parameters for infections caused by various microorganisms. We revealed that risks for infections caused by staphylococcus were higher in rooms where air samples didn't conform to sanitary-hygienic standards than in "clean rooms" (RR=2.1; OR=3.6). Risks for infections caused by micrococcus and molds were still substantially high both in "clean" rooms and in rooms where air samples didn't conform to sanitary-hygienic standards (). All this makes it absolutely necessary to improve activities aimed at monitoring infections related to providing medical assistance and caused by bacterial and mycotic agents as well as to develop existing hygienic standards and to apply new advanced disinfectants.

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Healthcare workers mobile phone usage: A potential risk for viral contamination. Surveillance pilot study

Abstract: Mobile phones in clinical practice may be contaminated with viral pathogenic viruses. HCWs use their mobile phone regularly while working and, although the majority are aware of contamination, they do not disinfect their phones.

Cited by 36 publications

References 19 publications

Degree of Bacterial Contamination of Mobile Phone and Computer Keyboard Surfaces and Efficacy of Disinfection with Chlorhexidine Digluconate and Triclosan to Its Reduction

Degree of Bacterial Contamination of Mobile Phone and Computer Keyboard Surfaces and Efficacy of Disinfection with Chlorhexidine Digluconate and Triclosan to Its Reduction

Covid-19 and mobile phone hygiene in healthcare settings

Analysis of risk for infections related to providing medical assistance

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