?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Potential+of+Mobile+Phones+to+Serve+as+a+Reservoir+in+Spread+of+Nosocomial+Pathogens&rft.creator=Bhat%2C+SS+&rft.creator=Hegde%2C+SK&rft.creator=Salian%2C+S&rft.subject=Online+Journal+of+Health+and+Allied+Sciences&rft.description=Objective%3A+The+use+of+cellular+telephones+by+medical+personnel+and+the+associated+nosocomial+transmission+of+pathogens+have+not+been+thoroughly+examined.+The+objective+of+this+study+was+to+determine+the+incidence+of+bacterial+colonisation+on+mobile+phones+of+Healthcare+workers+(HCWs)+and+its+accompanying+resistance+to+commonly+used+antimicrobials+in+a+medical+and+dental+hospital+in+India.+Method%3A+A+total+of+204+mobile+phones+of+HCWs+from+medical+and+dental+departments+were+screened.+A+sterile+swab+moistened+with+sterile+saline+was+rotated+over+the+external+surface+of+the+phone.+Swabs+were+cultured+on+5%25+sheep+blood+agar+and+MacConkey+agar+plates.+Plates+were+incubated+aerobically+at+37%C2%B0C+for+24+hours.+All+isolates+were+tested+for+antimicrobial+susceptibility.+A+questionnaire+was+used+for+data+collection+on+mobile+phone+use+in+hospital.+Result%3A+99%25+of+the+phones+demonstrated+evidence+of+bacterial+contamination.+64.8%25+of+medical+samples+showed+growth+of+pathogenic+micro-organisms+and+37.9%25+showed+growth+of+Multi+drug+resistant+bacteria.+59.37%25+of+dental+samples+showed+growth+of+pathogenic+micro-organisms+and+43.75%25+showed+growth+of+Multi+drug+resistant+bacteria.+Pathogens+isolated+included+Methicillin-resistant+Staphylococcus+aureus%2C+Methicillin-sensitive+Staphylococcus+aureus%2C+Escherichia+coli%2C+Klebsiella+pneumoniae%2C+Acinetobacter%2C+Enterococcus+faecalis%2C+and+Pseudomonas+aeruginosa.+According+to+the+questionnaire+40%25+admitted+to+using+their+phones+between+examination+of+patients.+Only+6%25+used+disinfectants+to+wipe+their+phones.+Conclusion%3A+This+study+reveals+that+mobile+phones+are+commonly+used+by+HCWs%2C+even+during+patient+contact+and+may+serve+as+a+potential+vehicle+for+the+spread+of+nosocomial+pathogens.&rft.publisher=BS+Kakkilaya&rft.contributor=Kakkilaya%2C+Dr+Srinivas&rft.date=2011-07-30&rft.type=Journal+(On-line%2FUnpaginated)&rft.type=PeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F7971%2F1%2F2011-2-14.pdf&rft.identifier=++Bhat%2C+SS++and+Hegde%2C+SK+and+Salian%2C+S++(2011)+Potential+of+Mobile+Phones+to+Serve+as+a+Reservoir+in+Spread+of+Nosocomial+Pathogens.++%5BJournal+(On-line%2FUnpaginated)%5D+++++&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F7971%2F