Bacterial contamination of the smartphones of healthcare workers in a German tertiary-care hospital before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
| Autor: | Margareta Lindner, Angela Bethge, Johannes Wolf, Stephan Borte, Christoph Lübbert, Romy Tannhäuser, Olaf Nickel |
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| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Epidemiology media_common.quotation_subject Health Personnel Tertiary Care Centers Bacterial colonization Hygiene Enterobacterales Environmental health Health care Pandemic Medicine Humans Pandemics media_common Bacteria business.industry Health Policy Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health COVID-19 Tertiary care hospital Contamination Infectious Diseases Female Smartphone business |
| Zdroj: | American journal of infection control. 50(4) |
| ISSN: | 1527-3296 |
| Popis: | Background Assuming that hygiene measures have improved significantly due to COVID-19, we aimed to investigate bacterial colonization on smartphones (SPs) owned by healthcare workers (HCWs) before and during the pandemic. Methods Employing a before-and-after study design, randomly selected HCWs were included. Devices underwent sampling under real-life conditions, without prior manipulation. Swabs were collected in 2012 (pre-pandemic) and 2021 to determine microbial colonization. Isolates were identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and underwent microbiological susceptibility testing. Results The final analysis included 295 HCWs (67% female, mean age 34 years) from 26 wards. Bacterial contamination was present on 293 of 295 SP screens (99.3%). The proportion of clinically relevant bacterial pathogens (eg Staphylococcus aureus, enterococci, Enterobacterales, non-fermenting bacteria) ranged from 21.2% in 2012 to 39.8% in 2021. Resistance profiles revealed a proportion of multidrug-resistant bacteria such as MRSA and VRE of less than 2%. The comparison of before-and-after sampling showed a significant increase in smartphone use during work from 2012 to 2021 with a simultaneous increase in cleaning intensity, probably as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions Bacterial contamination of SPs within the hospital is of concern and can serve as a source of cross-contamination. Hence, in addition to excellent hand hygiene, SPs must be carefully disinfected after handling in healthcare. Behavioral changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic could have a significant impact if implemented sustainably in everyday clinical practice. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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