MOBILE PHONES– DO WE NEED DECONTAMINATION?

BACKGROUND Mobile phones have become a necessity in the present scenario. They are extensively used for communication, internet, images, education, you tube, banking, for sharing reports, X-rays in healthcare settings. On the other hand they are reported to be contaminated by micro-organisms and may act as source of infection. In our study we analysed the mobile phones of healthcare workers (HCW) and college students for microbial contamination and also efficacy of sanitizers, wet wipes for decontamination. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 220 swabs were collected from 110 mobile phones of HCWs and 110 students. Swabs were cultured on 5% sheep blood agar; MacConkey agar and isolates were identified by standard protocol. RESULTS 91.8% of students and 89.1% of HCWs mobiles were contaminated. Organisms like Staphylococcus aureus, CONS, E. coli, Klebsiella aerogenes were isolated. HCWs mobiles showed higher number of potential pathogens. Decontamination by absolute alcohol, alcohol-based hand sanitizers decontaminated 96% of the mobile phones. Nonalcohol-based hand sanitizers and wet wipes were able to decontaminate 88% and 96% of the mobiles respectively. CONCLUSION Mobile phones of healthcare workers and also students were contaminated. Absolute alcohol could clean 96% mobiles of HCWs and 92% of students. Alcohol based hand sanitizers eliminated the organisms (96%) as against non-alcohol-based sanitizers. (88%). It was also observed that wet wipes were effective in students’ groups. (96%)