Comparison of keypads and touch-screen mobile phones/devices as potential risk for microbial contamination
Introduction: Touch-screen mobile phones/devices (TMPs/Ds) are increasingly used in hospitals. They may act as a mobile reservoir for microbial pathogens. The rates of microbial contamination of TMPs/Ds and keypad mobile phones (KMPs) with respect to different variables including use by healthcare w...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
2015-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Infection in Developing Countries |
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| Online Access: | https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/6171 |
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| author | Mehmet Koroglu Selami Gunal Fatma Yildiz Mehtap Savas Ali Ozer Mustafa Altindis |
| author_facet | Mehmet Koroglu Selami Gunal Fatma Yildiz Mehtap Savas Ali Ozer Mustafa Altindis |
| author_sort | Mehmet Koroglu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Touch-screen mobile phones/devices (TMPs/Ds) are increasingly used in hospitals. They may act as a mobile reservoir for microbial pathogens. The rates of microbial contamination of TMPs/Ds and keypad mobile phones (KMPs) with respect to different variables including use by healthcare workers (HCWs)/non-HCWs and the demographic characteristics of users were investigated.
Methodology: A total of 205 mobile phones/devices were screened for microbial contamination: 76 devices belonged to HCWs and 129 devices belonged to the non-HCW group. By rubbing swabs to front screen, back, keypad, and metallic surfaces of devices, 444 samples were collected.
Results: Of 205 mobile phones/devices, 143 (97.9%) of the TMPs/Ds and 58 (98.3%) of the KMPs were positive for microbial contamination, and there were no significant differences in contamination rates between these groups, although TMPs/Ds had significantly higher microbial load than KMPs (p <0.05). The significant difference in this analysis was attributable to the screen size of mobile phones ≥ 5”. Microbial contamination rates increased significantly as phone size increased (p <0.05). Higher numbers of coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CNS) were isolated from KMPs than TMPs/Ds (p = 0.049). The incidence of Enterococcus spp. was higher on the KMPs of HCWs, and methicillin resistant CNS was higher from the TMPs/Ds of non-HCWs (p <0.05). Isolation of CNS, Streptococcus spp. and Escherichia coli was higher from the TMPs/Ds of HCWs (p <0.05).
Conclusions: We found no significant difference between TMP/Ds and KMPs in terms of microbial contamination, but TMP/Ds harboured more colonies and total microbial counts increased with screen size.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c34eba45a2da4a7187af6d98f5ea8289 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1972-2680 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2015-12-01 |
| publisher | The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Infection in Developing Countries |
| spelling | doaj-art-c34eba45a2da4a7187af6d98f5ea82892025-08-20T02:14:19ZengThe Journal of Infection in Developing CountriesJournal of Infection in Developing Countries1972-26802015-12-0191210.3855/jidc.6171Comparison of keypads and touch-screen mobile phones/devices as potential risk for microbial contaminationMehmet Koroglu0Selami Gunal1Fatma Yildiz2Mehtap Savas3Ali Ozer4Mustafa Altindis5Sakarya University School Of Medicine, Sakarya, Turkeyİnönü University School Of Pharmacy, Malatya, TurkeyMalatya State Hospital, Malatya, TurkeyMalatya State Hospital, Malatya, Turkeyİnönü University School Of Medicine, Malatya, TurkeySakarya University School Of Medicine, Sakarya, TurkeyIntroduction: Touch-screen mobile phones/devices (TMPs/Ds) are increasingly used in hospitals. They may act as a mobile reservoir for microbial pathogens. The rates of microbial contamination of TMPs/Ds and keypad mobile phones (KMPs) with respect to different variables including use by healthcare workers (HCWs)/non-HCWs and the demographic characteristics of users were investigated. Methodology: A total of 205 mobile phones/devices were screened for microbial contamination: 76 devices belonged to HCWs and 129 devices belonged to the non-HCW group. By rubbing swabs to front screen, back, keypad, and metallic surfaces of devices, 444 samples were collected. Results: Of 205 mobile phones/devices, 143 (97.9%) of the TMPs/Ds and 58 (98.3%) of the KMPs were positive for microbial contamination, and there were no significant differences in contamination rates between these groups, although TMPs/Ds had significantly higher microbial load than KMPs (p <0.05). The significant difference in this analysis was attributable to the screen size of mobile phones ≥ 5”. Microbial contamination rates increased significantly as phone size increased (p <0.05). Higher numbers of coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CNS) were isolated from KMPs than TMPs/Ds (p = 0.049). The incidence of Enterococcus spp. was higher on the KMPs of HCWs, and methicillin resistant CNS was higher from the TMPs/Ds of non-HCWs (p <0.05). Isolation of CNS, Streptococcus spp. and Escherichia coli was higher from the TMPs/Ds of HCWs (p <0.05). Conclusions: We found no significant difference between TMP/Ds and KMPs in terms of microbial contamination, but TMP/Ds harboured more colonies and total microbial counts increased with screen size. https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/6171Mobile phonestouch-screen mobile phoneskeypad mobile phonesmicrobial contaminationhealthcare workers |
| spellingShingle | Mehmet Koroglu Selami Gunal Fatma Yildiz Mehtap Savas Ali Ozer Mustafa Altindis Comparison of keypads and touch-screen mobile phones/devices as potential risk for microbial contamination Journal of Infection in Developing Countries Mobile phones touch-screen mobile phones keypad mobile phones microbial contamination healthcare workers |
| title | Comparison of keypads and touch-screen mobile phones/devices as potential risk for microbial contamination |
| title_full | Comparison of keypads and touch-screen mobile phones/devices as potential risk for microbial contamination |
| title_fullStr | Comparison of keypads and touch-screen mobile phones/devices as potential risk for microbial contamination |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparison of keypads and touch-screen mobile phones/devices as potential risk for microbial contamination |
| title_short | Comparison of keypads and touch-screen mobile phones/devices as potential risk for microbial contamination |
| title_sort | comparison of keypads and touch screen mobile phones devices as potential risk for microbial contamination |
| topic | Mobile phones touch-screen mobile phones keypad mobile phones microbial contamination healthcare workers |
| url | https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/6171 |
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