title: Do mobile phones of patients, companions and visitors carry multidrug-resistant hospital pathogens?
abstract: A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine bacterial colonization on the mobile phones (MPs) used by patients, patients' companions, visitors, and health care workers (HCWs). Significantly higher rates of pathogens (39.6% vs 20.6%, respectively; P = .02) were found in MPs of patients' (n = 48) versus the HCWs' (n = 12). There were also more multidrug pathogens in the patents' MPs including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella spp, high-level aminoglycoside-resistant Enterococcus spp, and carabepenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumanii. Our findings suggest that mobile phones of patients, patients' companions, and visitors represent higher risk for nosocomial pathogen colonization than those of HCWs. Specific infection control measures may be required for this threat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey. Electronic address: mtekerekoglu@inonu.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Mehmet Sait
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Tekerekoǧlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yucel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Duman
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayfer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Serindağ
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Serpil Semiha
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Cuǧlan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Halim
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaysadu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Emine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tunc
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yakupogullari
mesh_terms: D000150:Acinetobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification; D040421:Cell Phone; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000635:transmission*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D050456:Fomites / Q000382:microbiology*; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D010361:Patients; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014421:Turkey; D014789:Visitors to Patients