Maryam Heydari - Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran- Student Research Committee, School of Health, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
Fatemeh Ehsani - Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran- Student Research Committee, School of Health, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
Mohsen Naghmachi - Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
Mehdi Salari - Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
Mohammad Noorisepehr - Research Center for Health, Safety and Environment (RCHSE), Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
Maryam Moradian - Student Research Committee, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

The use of mobile phones by healthcare personnel, doctors, patients, and patients’ companions are unavoidable in health centers, especially in hospitals. Besides being rarely clean, the mobile phone is a potential reservoir of disease and pathogens and hospital infections on bedside of hospitalized patients. In this study, the microbial contamination of mobile phones and potential of transmitting infections and their antibiotic resistance pattern were investigated. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, a questionnaire was prepared to assess the importance of maternity, neonatal, and intensive care unit (ICU) staff attention to how to use and clean the cell phones in terms of valid sources. Samples were taken from ۱۱۶ cell phones using a sterile swab. The standard plate count was used to detect the existing bacteria, and the antimicrobial resistance patterns of isolated bacteria were determined by standard methods. The microbial culture experiments indicated that ۱۰۷ cell phones had microbial contamination, accounting for ۹۲.۲۴% of mobile phones. From ۱۳۲ isolated strains, ۱۱۵ strains (۸۷.۱۲%) were gram-positive while ۱۷ were Gram-negative (۱۲.۸۸%). Furthermore, ۶۷ (۵۷.۷۶%), ۹ (۷.۷%), ۴ (۳.۴۵%), ۱۰ (۸.۶۲%), ۱۲ (۱۰.۳۵%), ۲۲ (۱۹%), and ۸ (۶.۹%) strains were coagulase-negative staphylococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Corynebacterium, Bacillus, Streptococcus, and Escherichia coli, respectively. The results of this study indicated that cell phones were contaminated with different types of bacteria, and that all species isolated partially played an important role in the development of hospital-acquired and opportunistic infections. Therefore, continuous disinfection of mobile phones and non-use or limited use of them in the hospitals are recommended.

Mobile phone, Bacterial contamination, Hospital personnel, Microbial resistance, Antibiogram