title: Practicability of hygienic wrapping of touchscreen operated mobile devices in a clinical setting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To prove effectiveness of wrapping tablet computers in order to reduce microbiological contamination and to evaluate whether a plastic bag-covered tablet leads to impaired user satisfaction or touchscreen functionality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Within a period of 11 days 115 patients were provided with a tablet computer while waiting for their magnetic resonance imaging examination. Every day the contamination of the surface of the tablet was determined before the first and after the final use. Before the device was handed over to a patient, it was enclosed in a customized single-use plastic bag, which was analyzed for bacterial contamination after each use. A questionnaire was applied to determine whether the plastic bag impairs the user satisfaction and the functionality of the touchscreen.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Following the use by patients the outside of the plastic bags was found to be contaminated with various bacteria (657.5 ± 368.5 colony forming units/day); some of them were potentially pathogenic. In contrast, the plastic bag covered surface of the tablet was significantly less contaminated (1.7 ± 1.9 colony forming units/day). Likewise, unused plastic bags did not show any contamination. 11% of the patients reported problems with the functionality of the touchscreen. These patients admitted that they had never used a tablet or a smartphone before.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tablets get severely contaminated during usage in a clinical setting. Wrapping with a customized single-use plastic bag significantly reduces microbiological contamination of the device, protects patients from the acquisition of potentially pathogenic bacteria and hardly impairs the user satisfaction and the functionality of the touchscreen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hammon
authors.affiliation: Mikrobiologisches Institut - klinische Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Hygiene, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kunz
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany.
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dinzl
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany.
authors.forename: Ferdinand J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Kammerer
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany.
authors.forename: Siegfried A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Schwab
authors.affiliation: Mikrobiologisches Institut - klinische Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Hygiene, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bogdan
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uder
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany.
authors.forename: Philipp M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Schlechtweg
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003201:Computers; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D005260:Female; D063373:Hand Hygiene; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010969:Plastics
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics