Abstract
Mobile communication devices help accelerate in-hospital flow of medical information, information sharing and querying, and contribute to communications in the event of emergencies through their application and access to wireless media technology. Healthcare-associated infections remain a leading and high-cost problem of global health systems despite improvements in modern therapies. The objective of this article was to review different studies on the relationship between mobile phones (MPs) and bacterial cross-contamination and report common findings. Thirty-nine studies published between 2005 and 2013 were reviewed. Of these, 19 (48.7%) identified coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), and 26 (66.7%) identified Staphylococcus aureus; frequency of growth varied. The use of MPs by healthcare workers increases the risk of repetitive cyclic contamination between the hands and face (e.g., nose, ears, and lips), and differences in personal hygiene and behaviors can further contribute to the risks. MPs are rarely cleaned after handling. They may transmit microorganisms, including multiple resistant strains, after contact with patients, and can be a source of bacterial cross-contamination. To prevent bacterial contamination of MPs, hand-washing guidelines must be followed and technical standards for prevention strategies should be developed.
Highlights
The rapid progress of modern technology has contributed to medical fields, and to the development of technologies for individual use
The results of cultures of microbiologic materials obtained from mobile phones (MPs) used by Healthcare workers (HCWs) were considered in the study; studies on pagers, personal digital assistants (PDA), personal computer keyboards, hospital fixed phones, and public telephones were excluded
It should be noted that the largest group was "others" (39.47%), which reflected the wide range of the isolated microorganisms
Summary
The rapid progress of modern technology has contributed to medical fields, and to the development of technologies for individual use. MPs and MHDs help accelerate in-hospital flow of medical information and information sharing and querying, and contribute to communications in the event of emergencies through their application and access to wireless media technology [1,2] As technology in this area has evolved, MHDs that provide laboratory and imaging results, patient data, and photographic images are being used by physicians during bedside rounds to engage clinicians, residents, and students. Healthcare workers (HCWs) access pharmaceutical knowledge and literature by MPs and MHDs, which facilitates learning and clinical performance [4,5] It is possible, with advanced mobile communications, to closely monitor diseases, such as diabetes and asthma, even without requiring the patient’s presence in the hospital. MPs essentially provide access to health workers without limitation to facilitate communication with patients
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