Bacterial contamination of mobile phones and their use among healthcare workers in critical care units at a tertiary healthcare facility in Northern Nigeria

Abstract

Mobile phones are essential devices for communication. However, it is implicated in transmission of microorganisms. Critically ill patients have high risk of infection from pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria. This study was conducted among healthcare workers in critical care units at a tertiary hospital, to assess their MP use and determine their rate of microbial contamination.

A point prevalence survey was conducted among healthcare workers in critical care areas, namely operating theatre, intensive care and dialysis units. Data was collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire on demographic characteristics and mobile phone use habits.Moistened sterile swabs were used to swab MPs, inserted in Amie’s transport media and processed by standard microbiological methods. Data was analysed with SPSS version 23

Overall, 62 HCWs, Nurses 31(50%), Doctors 16 (25.8%) and Health Assistants 15 (24.2%) were recruited from operation theatres 36 (58.1%), intensive care 19 (30.6%) and dialysis 7 (11.3%) units. Most respondents 58 (93.5%) believe MP is an important work tool, 22(35.5%) handle MPs with gloved hands and 33(53.2%) had never disinfected their MPs. Overall, 47(75.8%) MPs were contaminated with microorganisms namely,Coagulase negative staphylococcus 48(77.4%),Staphylococcus aureus 9(14.6%),Gram negative bacteria 4(6.5%) and fungi 1(1.6%),Bivariate analysis of demographic characteristics and MP use habits with bacterial contamination were not statistically significant.

The microbial contamination rate of mobile phones belonging to healthcare workers who work in critical care units at this facility was high. There is need fortraining on safe mobile phone use to reduce risk of infection to the critically ill patient.