title: Bacterial contamination of hospital pagers.
abstract: We assessed the bacterial contamination of the pagers of healthcare personnel and the efficacy of disinfection with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Microorganisms were isolated from all pagers; 21% yielded Staphylococcus aureus, of which 14% were methicillin resistant. Cleaning with alcohol reduced the total colony count by an average of 94%. Bacterial load varied by healthcare worker group and service assignment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Akron General Medical Center, Ohio 44307, USA.
authors.forename: Deepjot
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Hanspreet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: Lisa B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Treen
mesh_terms: D019840:2-Propanol; D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006747:Hospital Communication Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014193:Trauma Centers
chemical_list: D019840:2-Propanol