title: [Bacterial contamination of mobile phones shared in hospital wards and the consciousness and behavior of nurses about biological cleanliness].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to clarify the contamination of mobile phones shared in hospital wards and its relationship with the consciousness and behavior of nurses about biological cleanliness.
  
  
  METHODS
  Samples from mobile phones were cultured to detect viable bacteria (n=110) and Staphylococcus aureus (n=54). A questionnaire survey was conducted on 110 nurses carrying mobile phones on the day of sampling.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Viable bacteria were detected on 79.1% of the mobile phones, whereas S. aureus was detected on 68.6%. All the nurses were aware of hand washing with water or alcohol after regular work, but 33.6% of the nurses were not conscious of hand washing with water or alcohol after using a mobile phone. There was a significant positive relationship between the frequency of using mobile phones and the number of hand washings with water or alcohol. A significant negative relationship was found between the detection of viable bacteria and the number of hand washings with alcohol. The results of logistic regression analysis showed that the detection of viable bacteria was related significantly with the number of hand washings with alcohol (Odds ratio, 0.350; 95%CI, 0.143-0.857) and that the detection of S. aureus was related significantly with the frequency of using mobile phones (Odds ratio, 0.183; 95%CI, 0.036-0.933).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is important to be conscious of the fact that mobile phones shared in hospital wards are easily contaminated. Because hand washing with water or alcohol prevents the contamination of the mobile phones, nurses should take standard precautions after using mobile phones.
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Nursing Science, Wakayama Medical University, Japan. moriokai@wakayama-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Ikuharu
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Morioka
authors.forename: Yuna
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tabuchi
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Yuriko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oda
authors.forename: Masami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakai
authors.forename: Aki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yanase
authors.forename: Chiyoko
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Watazu
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D040421:Cell Phone; D003243:Consciousness; D050456:Fomites / Q000382:microbiology*; D006235:Hand Disinfection; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control; D008297:Male; D009726:Nurses