TY - JOUR AU - Al-Beeshi, Nourah Zaab AU - Alohali, Rawa Mosaed AU - Torchyan, Armen A AU - Somily, Ali Mohammed PY - 2021/09/30 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - The bacterial colonization of healthcare workers’ mobile phones in a large tertiary care teaching hospital in Saudi Arabia JF - The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries JA - J Infect Dev Ctries VL - 15 IS - 09 SE - Original Articles DO - 10.3855/jidc.13201 UR - https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/34669602 SP - 1314-1320 AB - <p>Introduction: The use of mobile phones by healthcare workers is a risk factor for microorganism transmission in healthcare settings. Pathogenic bacteria such as methicillin-resistant <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> and gram-negative bacteria like <em>Escherichia coli</em> that are known to cause nosocomial infection have been isolated from mobile phones. In this cross-sectional study, we assess the burden and related risk factors of the bacterial colonization of healthcare workers’ mobile phones.</p><p>Methodology: We collected samples from the mobile phones of 130 healthcare workers’ in a Saudi Arabian teaching hospital, using moistened cotton swabs. The isolated organisms were identified using an automated identification and susceptibility system. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to test the data.</p><p>Results: Of 130 swabs collected, 45 (34.6%) grew one species and 48 (36.9%) grew two or more. <em>Staphylococcus epidermidis</em> was the most commonly isolated bacteria (52.3%), followed by <em>Micrococcus</em> and related species (25.4%), <em>Staphylococcus hominis</em> (13.8%), and <em>Bacillus</em> species (6.9%). Clinically significant microorganisms such as <em>S. aureus </em>and <em>Pseudomonas</em> sp. were identified in 2 (1.5%) samples, respectively. The odds of mobile phone colonization were 8.5 times higher (95% CI = 3.2-23.1) in the laboratory, neonatal intensive care unit, and medicine departments. Mobile phones owned for more than one year were more likely to be culture positive (OR = 2.9, 95% CI = 1.1-7.6).</p><p>Conclusions: In our study, the prevalence of bacterial colonization among healthcare workers’ mobile phones was high. Our findings suggest that high-risk groups for mobile phone colonization—such as laboratory, neonatal intensive care unit, and medicine department staff—should be a priority for preventative measures, to improve infection control.</p> ER -