Screening of the Mobile Phones of Resident Doctors for Microbial Contamination in Tertiary Health Care Center

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Authors

  • Sapana Madkar
     Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, Dr. Vasantrao Pawar Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Nashik - 422003, Maharashtra ,IN
  • Sunita Phatale
     Tutor, Department of Microbiology, Dr. Vasantrao Pawar Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Nashik - 422003, Maharashtra ,IN
  • Gayatri Gondhali
     III year MBBS Student, Dr. Vasantrao Pawar Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Nashik - 422003, Maharashtra ,IN

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18311/mvpjms/2019/v6i2/23739

Keywords:

Health Care Workers, Hospital Acquired Infections, Mobile Phones
Microbiology

Abstract

Background: Use of mobile phones for communication is increasingly becoming important today. Mobile phones can carry various harmful microbes and can acts as exogenous source of infection in hospital acquired infections. Aims: To screen the mobile phones of resident doctors for microbial contamination in tertiary health care center. Materials and Methods: swab's were taken from 70 resident doctor's mobile phones by using sterile cotton swab and inoculated on MacConkey agar and Blood agar. Organisms isolated were processed as per standard protocol. Results: out of the 70 mobile phone swabs 62 swabs (88.5%) were contaminated with microorganisms. Eighty-eight microorganisms were isolated from 70 mobile phones. Among 88 isolates, coagulase negative staphylococci were 42(47.73%), Staphylococcus aureus 18(20.45%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter, Micrococci were 6(6.82%) each, Klebsiella pneumonia and Enterococcus were 3(3.41%) each. 2 isolates of diphtheroids; Escherichia coli and Bacillus with 1 isolate each. Conclusion: Mobile phones can act as exogenous source of microorganisms and can spread hospital acquired infections. Hence proper infection control practices like proper hand washing should be routinely practiced.

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Published

2020-05-07

Issue

Volume 6, Issue 2, July-December 2019

Section

Original Research Article

 

References

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