Bacterial contamination of patient accompaniers' phones

Background: The contamination with nosocomial pathogens is an increasing risk leading to the extended length of a patients’ hospital stay, and its may spread via many vehicles including, patient accompanies' mobile phones. Aim: The current study aimed to investigation of the bacterial pathogens presence in phones of inpatients' accompanies, and the antibiotic susceptibility profile of these pathogens. Methodology: 314 sterile swabs were rotated over the phone parts surfaces, which were cultured and identified according to standard bacteriological procedures and Vitek-32 system, while the antibiotic susceptibility profile was done via the method of Kirby Baeur using Muller Hinton agar. Results: Out of 314, there was 258 (82.2%) positive bacterial growth for pathogenic micro-organisms in mobile phones. Out of which (72.5%) were males while (53.9%) were females, in spite of that, gender was associated insig¬nificantly with bacterial contamination. From 183 (70.9%) mobile phones, a single pathogen was isolated and multiple pathogens were isolated from 75 (29.1%). Including Coagulase Negative Staphylococci (CoNS) (48.5.7%) followed by Escherichia coli, Staph. aureus, Klebsiella sp. and most of the gram positive cocci were sensitive to erythromycin and ciprofloxacin while were resistant to penicillin. Gram negative bacteria were sensitive to ceftazidime and ceftriax¬one, while it were resistant to penicillin and gentamicin. Conclusion: Patient accompanies' phones may serve as a reservoir and transference instrument of nosocomial bacteria into the clinical wards and patients.