Surface Microbiology of Smartphone Screen Among the Nursing Staffs Working in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Of Tertiary Care Hospital
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55489/njmr.150320251120Keywords:
Smartphone contamination, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs)Abstract
Background: The increasing use of mobile phones by healthcare professionals in intensive care units (ICUs) has raised concerns about their potential role as reservoirs for pathogenic microorganisms, contributing to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). This study investigates the extent of microbial contamination on smartphones used by nursing staff in critical care, highlighting the need for enhanced infection prevention strategies.
Methods: Smartphones used by ICU nursing staff were swabbed and analyzed microbiologically. Samples were cultured on MacConkey and blood agar, followed by Gram staining and biochemical identification per CLSI guidelines, to detect and identify potential pathogens in a high-risk clinical setting.
Results: Out of 129 mobile phones analyzed, 64.3% showed pathogenic growth. Monomicrobial growth was found in 95.1% of cases, and polymicrobial in 4.8%. Gram-positive cocci dominated (82.7%), mainly Staphylococcus aureus (68%). Gram-negative bacilli (17.2%) included E. coli (40%), K. pneumoniae (26%), P. aeruginosa (20%), and A. baumannii (13%), indicating significant contamination.
Conclusion: Mobile phones used by healthcare workers can carry harmful pathogens, increasing the risk of HAIs. Regular disinfection, staff education, and clear phone usage policies are essential to reduce contamination, enhance infection control, and promote a safer clinical environment.
References
Dar SH, Bashir G, Nisar Q, Majid I, Khandi MA. Microbial contamination on mobile phones of health-care workers at a tertiary care hospital of Northern India. Current Medical Issues. 2022 Jul 1;20(3):149-53. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/cmi.cmi_22_22 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/cmi.cmi_22_22
Jaber AS, Juma HA, Aliwi AA. Isolation of Pathogenic Bacteria from Equipment of the Care Units, Hands and Mobile Devices for Medical Staff in Educational Al-Hussein Hospital. Pakistan Journal of Medical & Health Sciences. 2023 Mar 31;17(02):484-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.53350/pjmhs2023172484 DOI: https://doi.org/10.53350/pjmhs2023172484
Raza I, Raza A, Razaa SA, Sadar AB, Qureshi AU, Talib U, Chi G, Qureshi AU. Surface microbiology of smartphone screen protectors among healthcare professionals. Cureus. 2017 Dec 26;9(12):e1989. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.1989 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.1989
Dhayhi N, Kameli N, Salawi M, Shajri A, Basode VK, Algaissi A, Alamer E, Darraj M, Shrwani K, Alhazmi AH. Bacterial Contamination of Mobile Phones Used by Healthcare Workers in Critical Care Units: A Cross-Sectional Study from Saudi Arabia. Microorganisms. 2023 Aug 2;11(8):1986. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11081986 PMid:37630546 PMCid:PMC10459851 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11081986
Banawas S, Abdel-Hadi A, Alaidarous M, Alshehri B, Bin Dukhyil AA, Alsaweed M, Aboamer M. Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria Associated with Cell Phones of Healthcare Professionals in Selected Hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol. 2018 Dec 24;2018:6598918. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/6598918 PMid:30675320 PMCid:PMC6323467 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/6598918
Kuriyama A, Fujii H, Hotta A, Asanuma R, Irie H. Prevalence of bacterial contamination of touchscreens and posterior surfaces of smartphones owned by healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study. BMC Infect Dis. 2021 Jul 13;21(1):681. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-021-06379-y PMid:34256724 PMCid:PMC8276544 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-021-06379-y
Heyba M, Ismaiel M, Alotaibi A, Mahmoud M, Baqer H, Safar A, Al-Sweih N, Al-Taiar A. Microbiological contamination of mobile phones of clinicians in intensive care units and neonatal care units in public hospitals in Kuwait. BMC Infect Dis. 2015 Oct 15;15:434. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-015-1172-9 PMid:26471415 PMCid:PMC4608137 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-015-1172-9
Sepehri G, Talebizadeh N, Mirzazadeh A, Mir-shekari TR, Sepehri E. Bacterial contamination and resistance to commonly used antimicrobials of healthcare workers' mobile phones in teaching hospitals, Kerman, Iran. American Journal of Applied Sciences. 2009 Apr 8;6(5):806-810. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3844/ajassp.2009.806.810 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3844/ajassp.2009.806.810
Afridayani M, Prastiwi YI, Aulawi K, Rahmat I, Nirwati H, Haryani. Relationship between hand hygiene behavior and Staphylococcus aureus colonization on cell phones of nurses in the intensive care unit. Belitung Nurs J. 2021 Feb 22;7(1):24-30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33546/bnj.1223 PMid:37469800 PMCid:PMC10353620 DOI: https://doi.org/10.33546/bnj.1223
Cicciarella Modica D, Maurici M, D'Alò GL, Mozzetti C, Messina A, Distefano A, Pica F, De Filippis P. Taking screenshots of the invisible: a study on bacterial contamination of mobile phones from university students of healthcare professions in Rome, Italy. Microorganisms. 2020 Jul 19;8(7):1075. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8071075 PMid:32707676 PMCid:PMC7409191 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8071075
De A, Datchanamurthy B, Bhosale N, Dakshinamurthy S, Datchanamurthy IV B. Effectiveness of ultraviolet radiation and disinfectant wipes in reducing the microbial contamination of mobile phones in a tertiary care hospital. Cureus. 2024 Jul 17;16(7):e64782. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.64782 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.64782
Pal K, Chatterjee M, Sen P, Adhya SH. Cell phones of health care professionals: a silent source of bacteria. National J Lab Med. 2015;4(4):33-8.
Arora U, Devi P, Chadha A, Malhotra S. Cellphones: a modern stayhouse for bacterial pathogens. JK science. 2009 Jul 1;11(3):127-129.
Correa GH, Formigoni CS, Sasagawa SM, Arnoni MV, Mathias LADST, Mimica MJ. Mobile phones of anesthesiologists as reservoirs of nosocomial bacteria in a quaternary teaching hospital: an observational study. Braz J Anesthesiol. 2023 May-Jun;73(3):276-282. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjane.2021.08.013 PMid:34563561 PMCid:PMC10240216 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjane.2021.08.013
Weslin T, Oller AR. Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas isolated from mobile phones and cheek and ear locales. British Journal of Medicine and Medical Research. 2016 Jan 1;11(6):1-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.9734/BJMMR/2016/20616 DOI: https://doi.org/10.9734/BJMMR/2016/20616
Kayed K, Khoder G, Farhat J, Ghemrawi R. Mobile Phones: Reservoirs of Resistant Bacteria during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Microorganisms. 2023 Feb 18;11(2):523. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11020523 PMid:36838487 PMCid:PMC9962086 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11020523
Akinyemi KO, Atapu AD, Adetona OO, Coker AO. The potential role of mobile phones in the spread of bacterial infections. The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries. 2009 Sep 15;3(08):628-32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.556 PMid:19801807 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.556
Chang CH, Chen SY, Lu JJ, Chang CJ, Chang Y, Hsieh PH. Nasal colonization and bacterial contamination of mobile phones carried by medical staff in the operating room. PLoS One. 2017 May 31;12(5):e0175811. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0175811 PMid:28562676 PMCid:PMC5450997 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0175811
Bisht M, Kumar M, Solanki HK, Kaur T, Rawat V. Microbial contamination of mobile phones of health care providers at a teaching hospital in a Hilly North Indian State. Indian Journal of Community and Family Medicine. 2018 Jan 1;4(1):34-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/2395-2113.251346 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/2395-2113.251346
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Aishwarya J Shinde, Soumya S, Mohd. Aadam Bin Najeeb, Sunil Jangid
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Author/s retain the copyright of their article, with first publication rights granted to Medsci Publications.
