Journal Article

Nasal colonization and bacterial contamination of mobile phones carried by medical staff in the operating room

Lu, Jang-Jih, Chen, Szu-Yuan, Chang, Chee-Jen, Hsieh, Pang-Hsin, Chang, Yuhan, Chang, Chih-Hsiang

2017

Overview

Mobile phones (MPs) have been an essential part of the lives of healthcare professionals and have improved communication, collaboration, and sharing of information. Nonetheless, the widespread use of MPs in hospitals has raised concerns of nosocomial infections, especially in areas requiring the highest hygienic standards such as operating rooms (ORs). This study evaluated the incidence of bacterial contamination of the MPs carried by medical staff working in the OR and determined its association with bacterial colonization of this personnel. This is an observational cohort study. Medical staffs working in the OR were asked to take bacterial cultures from their MPs, anterior nares, and dominant hands. To identify the relation between MP contamination and bacterial colonization of the medical staff, genotyping of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) was done via Staphylococcus protein A gene (spa) typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). A total of 216 swab samples taken from 72 medical-staff members were analyzed. The culture-positive rate was 98.1% (212/216). In 59 (27.3%) samples, the bacteria were possible clinical pathogens. The anterior nares were the most common site of colonization by clinical pathogens (58.3%, 42/72), followed by MPs (13.9%, 10/72) and the dominant hand (9.7%, 7/72). SA was the most commonly isolated clinical pathogen and was found in 43 (19.9%) samples. In 66 (94.3%) of the 70 staff members for whom bacteria were detected on their MPs, the same bacteria were detected in nares or hand. Among 31 medical staff who were carriers of SA in the anterior nares or dominant hand, 8 (25.8%) were found to have SA on their MPs, and genotyping confirmed the same SA strain in 7 (87.5%) of them. A high rate of bacterial nasal colonization and MPs contamination were found among the OR medical staff. An MP may be a reservoir for pathogen contamination in the OR.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Adult / Analysis / Bacteria / Biology and Life Sciences / Carriers / Cell Phone / Cellular telephones / Collaboration / Colonization / Contamination / Cooperation / Cross infection / Cross Infection - microbiology / Electrophoresis / Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field / Engineering and Technology / Female / Gel electrophoresis / Genotyping / Health aspects / Health care / Health care reform / Hospitals / Humans / Hygiene / Incidence / Male / Medical personnel / Medicine and Health Sciences / Nasal Cavity - microbiology / Nosocomial infection / Nosocomial infections / Observational studies / Operating Rooms / Pathogens / Personnel, Hospital / Political activity / Political aspects / Practice / Protein A / Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis / Research and Analysis Methods / Risk factors / Staphylococcus aureus - genetics / Staphylococcus aureus - isolation & purification / Wireless telephones