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HomeInfectious DiseaseCellphones of Hospital Patients & Visitors Harbor Dangerous Bacteria

Cellphones of Hospital Patients & Visitors Harbor Dangerous Bacteria

Hospital-acquired infections affect more than 25% of admitted patients in developing countries. In U.S. hospitals, they cause 1.7 million infections a year and are associated with approximately 100,000 deaths. It is estimated that one third of these infections could be prevented by adhering to standard infection control guidelines. Mehmet Sait Tekerekoglu , from Inonu University (Turkey), and colleagues collected swab samples from three parts of cellphones—the keypad, microphone and ear piece. A total of 200 mobile phones were cultured for the study, 67 of which belonged to medical employees and 133 to patients, patients’ companions and visitors. The researchers found that 39.6% of the patient group phones tested positive for pathogens (as compared to 20.6% of  healthcare worker phones).  Additionally, seven patient phones contained multidrug resistant (MDR) pathogens such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multiply resistant gram-negative organisms, while no healthcare worker phones tested positive for MDR pathogens. Warning that: “Our findings suggest that mobile phones of patients, patients’ companions, and visitors represent higher risk for nosocomial pathogen colonization than those of [healthcare workers],” the team urges that: “Specific infection control measures may be required for this threat.”

Mehmet Sait Tekerekoglu, Yucel Duman, Ayfer Serindag, Serpil Semiha Cuglan, Halim Kaysadu, Emine Tunc, Yusuf Yakupogullari.  “Do mobile phones of patients, companions and visitors carry multidrug-resistant hospital pathogens?”  American Journal of Infection Control, Volume 39, Issue 5 , Pages 379-381, June 2011.

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