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Zenbaba D, Sahiledengle B, Beressa G, Desta F, Teferu Z, Nugusu F, Atlaw D, Shiferaw Z, Gezahegn B, Mamo A, Desalegn T, Negash W, Negash G, Mama M, Nigussie E, Chattu VK. Bacterial contamination of healthcare workers' mobile phones in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Trop Med Health 2023; 51:55. [PMID: 37798670 PMCID: PMC10552405 DOI: 10.1186/s41182-023-00547-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mobile phones are potential reservoirs for pathogens and sources of healthcare-associated infections. More microbes can be found on a mobile phone than on a man's lavatory seat, the sole of a shoe, or a door handle. When examining patients, frequent handling of mobile phones can spread bacteria. Nevertheless, evidence of bacterial contamination of mobile phones used by healthcare workers in Africa was inconclusive. Thus, this meta-analysis and systematic review was conducted to estimate the pooled prevalence of bacterial contamination of mobile phones used by healthcare workers and the most frequent bacterial isolates in Africa. METHODS We systematically retrieved relevant studies using PubMed/MEDLINE, POPLINE, HINARI, Science Direct, Cochrane Library databases, and Google Scholar from July 1, 2023 to August 08, 2023. We included observational studies that reported the prevalence of bacterial contamination of mobile phones among healthcare workers. The DerSimonian-random Laird's effect model was used to calculate effect estimates for the pooled prevalence of bacterial contamination in mobile phones and a 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS Among 4544 retrieved studies, 26 eligible articles with a total sample size of 2,887 study participants were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of mobile phone bacterial contamination among healthcare workers was 84.5% (95% CI 81.7, 87.4%; I2 = 97.9%, p value < 0.001). The most dominant type of bacteria isolated in this review was coagulase-negative staphylococci (CONS) which accounted for 44.0% of the pooled contamination rate of mobile phones used by healthcare workers, followed by Staphylococcus aureus (31.3%), and Escherichia coli (10.7%). CONCLUSIONS In this review, the contamination of mobile phones used by HCWs with various bacterial isolates was shown to be considerable. The most prevalent bacteria isolates were coagulase-negative staphylococci, Staphylococcus aurous, and Escherichia coli. The prevalence of bacterial contamination in mobile phones varies by country and sub-region. Hence, healthcare planners and policymakers should establish norms to manage healthcare workers' hand hygiene and disinfection after using mobile phones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Demisu Zenbaba
- Department of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Madda Walabu University, P.O. Box 76, Goba, Ethiopia.
| | - Biniyam Sahiledengle
- Department of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Madda Walabu University, P.O. Box 76, Goba, Ethiopia
| | - Girma Beressa
- Department of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Madda Walabu University, P.O. Box 76, Goba, Ethiopia
| | - Fikreab Desta
- Department of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Madda Walabu University, P.O. Box 76, Goba, Ethiopia
| | - Zinash Teferu
- Department of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Madda Walabu University, P.O. Box 76, Goba, Ethiopia
| | - Fikadu Nugusu
- Department of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Madda Walabu University, P.O. Box 76, Goba, Ethiopia
| | - Daniel Atlaw
- Anatomy Unit, School of Medicine, Madda Walabu University, P.O. Box 76, Goba, Ethiopia
| | - Zerihun Shiferaw
- Anatomy Unit, School of Medicine, Madda Walabu University, P.O. Box 76, Goba, Ethiopia
| | - Bereket Gezahegn
- Anatomy Unit, School of Medicine, Madda Walabu University, P.O. Box 76, Goba, Ethiopia
| | - Ayele Mamo
- Departments of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, Madda Walabu University, P.O. Box 76, Goba, Ethiopia
| | - Tesfaye Desalegn
- Departments of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, Madda Walabu University, P.O. Box 76, Goba, Ethiopia
| | - Wogene Negash
- Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, Madda Walabu University, P.O. Box 76, Goba, Ethiopia
| | - Getahun Negash
- Department of Medical Laboratory, School of Health Sciences, Madda Walabu University, P.O. Box 76, Goba, Ethiopia
| | - Mohammedaman Mama
- Department of Medical Laboratory, School of Health Sciences, Madda Walabu University, P.O. Box 76, Goba, Ethiopia
| | - Eshetu Nigussie
- Department of Medical Laboratory, School of Health Sciences, Madda Walabu University, P.O. Box 76, Goba, Ethiopia
| | - Vijay Kumar Chattu
- Center for Transdisciplinary Research, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, 600077, India
- Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences, Wardha, 442107, India
- Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Dhayhi N, Kameli N, Salawi M, Shajri A, Basode VK, Algaissi A, Alamer E, Darraj M, Shrwani K, Alhazmi AH. Bacterial Contamination of Mobile Phones Used by Healthcare Workers in Critical Care Units: A Cross-Sectional Study from Saudi Arabia. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1986. [PMID: 37630546 PMCID: PMC10459851 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11081986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) present a formidable challenge for healthcare institutions, resulting in heightened mortality, morbidity, and economic burden. Within healthcare settings, various equipment and materials, including mobile phones, can potentially act as sources of infection. This study sought to examine the occurrence of bacterial contamination on mobile phones utilized by healthcare workers (HCWs) in intensive care units (ICUs), pediatric intensive care units (PICUs), neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), and cardiac care units (CCUs) within a central hospital (CH) and two peripheral hospitals (PHs) situated in the southwestern province of Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS We collected a total of 157 samples from mobile phones utilized by HCWs across all ICUs in the CH and PHs. These samples underwent bacteriological analysis to evaluate the degree of bacterial contamination. RESULTS We found that 45 out of 55 samples from physicians (81.81%) and 58 out of 77 samples from nurses (75.32%) showed bacterial contamination. Contamination rates on HCWs' mobile phones in the ICU, PICU, and NICU departments of the CH were observed at 69.56%, 80.95%, and 70.27%, respectively. Furthermore, the overall contamination rates in the ICUs, NICUs, and CCUs of the PHs were 78.26%, 88.88%, and 66.66%, respectively. The overall contamination rates of mobile phones in the CH and PHs were 72.11% and 81.13%, respectively. CONCLUSION These findings underscore the necessity of routinely disinfecting the mobile phones of HCWs to mitigate the risk of cross-contamination. Implementing robust disinfection protocols can significantly contribute to curtailing the propagation of bacterial pathogens and reducing the incidence of HAIs in healthcare settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nabil Dhayhi
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Pediatric Medicine, King Fahad Central Hospital, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nader Kameli
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia
- Medical Research Center, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Salawi
- Department of Pediatric Medicine, King Fahad Central Hospital, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amjad Shajri
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia
| | - Vinod Kumar Basode
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah Algaissi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia
- Medical Research Center, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia
| | - Edrous Alamer
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia
- Medical Research Center, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia
| | - Majid Darraj
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khalid Shrwani
- Saudi Public Health Authority, Vector-Borne Diseases Laboratory, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulaziz H. Alhazmi
- Medical Research Center, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia
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Kayed K, Khoder G, Farhat J, Ghemrawi R. Mobile Phones: Reservoirs of Resistant Bacteria during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11020523. [PMID: 36838487 PMCID: PMC9962086 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11020523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mobile phones are excessively used even though microbes' ability to survive on phone surfaces was confirmed. During the COVID-19 pandemic, heavy hygiene practices have been applied to mobile surfaces. Therefore, it is interesting to evaluate the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria on mobile phone surfaces. METHODS A random sampling technique was utilized on residents in Abu Dhabi, UAE between May and June 2021. A swab sample from each participant's mobile phone was collected and transported to the microbiology laboratory for bacterial culture and antimicrobial susceptibility tests. Furthermore, a cross-sectional study was conducted via a self-administered questionnaire filled by participants. The questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic data, phone frequency usage and cleaning methods. RESULTS One hundred two-sample swabs and data have been included in the study. The majority of participants (91.1%) reported cleaning their mobile phones with wipes and alcohol. However, 100% of participants had a mobile phone contaminated by bacteria such as S. aureus, E. coli, Coagulase-negative staphylococci, Micrococcus, Bacillus, Streptococcus, Citrobacter, Proteus, Enterococcus, klebsiella, Pseudomonas and Actinobacteria. Interestingly, most of these potentially pathogenic bacteria were found to be resistant to ampicillin, ceftazidime and cefotaxime. CONCLUSION The continuous hand and mobile disinfectant have contributed to the emergence of resistant bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kawthar Kayed
- College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 112612, United Arab Emirates
- AAU Health and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 112612, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ghalia Khoder
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Joviana Farhat
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 127788, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rose Ghemrawi
- College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 112612, United Arab Emirates
- AAU Health and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 112612, United Arab Emirates
- Correspondence:
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