Bacterial Contamination of Cell Phones of Health Care Providers at a Tertiary Care Centre

Health Care Associated Infections (HCAI) caused by Multidrug Resistant (MDR) bacteria are an emerging risk factor in many institutions; cell phones being a convenient mode of communication and an easy mode of carrying patient information are used extensively by Health Care Workers (HCWs). Their cell phones can be a potential reservoir for harmful pathogens that can cause nosocomial infections. Further more, the extensive use of cell phones can easily transmit these pathogenic bacteria towards both the ends of the health care hierarchy.

To isolate the aerobic bacterial pathogens present on cell-phones of the Health Care Workers at a Tertiary Care Centre.

To assess the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of these isolates.

In this study a random sampling of cell phones of 30 HCWs was carried out from wards of the hospital. Swabs were collected and processed as per standard techniques. AST was carried out according to CLSI 2018 standard guidelines.

Bacteriological analysis of 30 samples yielded a total of 42 isolates. Of these 42.8% isolates were pathogenic of which 14%(6) were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 17%(3) Staphylococcus aureus, 7%(3) Enterobacter cloacae complex, 5%(2) Acinetobacter spp., 2%(1) Diphtheroids, 2%(1) Klebsiella spp., 2%(1) Aeromonas salmonicida, 2%(1) Acinetobacter baumannii complex. Remaining 57.2% isolates were nonpathogenic of which 12%(5) were Sphingomona spaucimobilis, 10%(4) Staphylococcus hominis, 10%(4) Staphylococcus epidermidis, 7%(3) Staphylococcus arlettae, 5%(2) Staphylococcus haemolyticus, 5%(2) Staphylococcus warneri, 5%(2) Kocuria varians, 2%(1) Kocuria rosea, 2%(1) Pseudomonas stutzeri. The antibiotic sensitivity pattern of the pathogenic isolates revealed a few alarming results.

The results of our study reveal that cell phones are contaminated with bacteria and can act as a reservoir for harmful pathogenic bacteria that can cause HCAI.