Microbial Characterization of Mobile Phones From Dental Students in Colombia

Objectives: The lack of restrictions on the use of mobile phones, for healthcare workers and students alike, inside highly contaminated environments such as hospital settings and dental clinics, has turned these devices into potential vehicles for transmission of multiple microorganisms which present adhesion mechanisms and biofilm formation on inanimate objects like phone screens. The microorganisms found on telephones of students in clinical practice from Dentistry of the University of Cartagena, were characterized to identify and determine the microbial contamination in the clinical care setting.

Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study on 90 samples from telephones belonging to students in clinical practice, taken using sterile swabs moistened in saline 0.9% and cultured in blood agar and MacConkey and incubated at 37°C. Gram stains and biochemical tests were performed; questionnaires about biosecurity habits were applied on the population sample. The data was analyzed using SPSS v23 IBM.

Results: From the 90 samples, growth was observed in 69 (76%); out of which 84% were Gram positive and 16% Gram negative. The microorganisms with the highest growth where Staphylococcus spp. (42%), Candida albicans (8.7%). Likewise, there was growth of Escherichia coli on 3 devices and Pseudomonas aeruginosa on 2. 100% of participants expressed that they take their phones to clinical practices, 96% interrupt patient care to use it, 77.8% manipulate it with gloves on, 85.5% do not wash their hands after finishing the attention and 93.3% do not carry out any type of disinfection of the phone.

Conclusions: In the clinical care environment it is essential to guarantee biosecurity in order to avoid nosocomial infections. Mobile phones can act as vehicles of transmission of potentially pathogenic microorganisms, thus it is advisable to create management protocols and restriction areas within critical zones, in addition to encouraging frequent device disinfection and hand washing before and after their use within work sites.