Bacteriological Profile of Mobile Phones Health Care Workers (HCW’S) working in ICU, NICU and OPD’S at A Tertiary Care Hospital, Northern India

Cell phone and writing pen has become part and parcel of modern life. To live a life without cell phone is an impossible task for maximum people. Health care providers are also integral part of this era of mobile phones. During various activities linked to health care services health care professionals used to touch their cell phones and writing pens many a time. Hence, mobile phones and writing pens are found to be contaminated with various microorganisms. Aim: To find out bacteriological profile of cell phones and writing pens used by different categories of health care providers in a tertiary care hospital, Kanpur U.P. India and antibiotic resistance pattern of the isolates. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital, U.P. Kanpur India during academic last 6th months. Swabs from 80 mobile phones and 20 from writing pens belonging to doctors, nurses, ward boys, laboratory technicians, according to the availability were collected in OT’s and OPD’s. The swabs were processed to isolate and identify the bacteria. Antibiotic sensitivity tests of these isolates were done following Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute guidelines. Results: Out of 80 cell phones and 20 writing pens (total 100) sampled 87 were found contaminated with various numbers of bacteria’s. 47% cell phones had single bacterial contamination while 30% cell phones and 10% writing pens were contaminated with two or more types of bacteria’s. Cell phones and writing pens of laboratory technicians were hundred percent contaminated, followed by nurses (96%). Differences in rate of contamination in different groups of health professionals were statistically significant.