ABSTRACT
Background: Use of mobile phones by Health Care Workers (HCWs) in the operation theatre (OT), Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Critical Care Unit (CCU) may have serious hygiene consequences as these patients are more vulnerable to hospital acquired infection. This study will assess possibility of spreading hospital acquired infection due to usage of mobile phone by HCWs working in OT, ICU and CCU, their causative microorganisms and antibiotic sensitivity pattern. Methods: After institutional ethics committee approval, this observational study was carried out in government teaching hospital. After written informed consent, three groups (doctors, nurses and other health care personnel) each of 50 participants were selected. From each participant two samples were collected, one from the dominant hand and another from the mobile phone. The samples were tested for the identification of microorganism and antibiotic sensitivity.Results: It was found that 58.66% of hands and 46.66% mobile phones were contaminated by bacteria. Staphylococcus epidermidis was isolated as most common causative organism with infection rate of 42% in hand and 32.66% in the mobile phone. Contaminations with other organisms were 16.66% in hand and 14% in mobile phone. We found that 50% isolated Staphylococcus aureus were methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Pseudomonas and Acinetobactor species isolated in the study showed multi drug resistance to commonly used antibiotics.Conclusion: We recommend simple measures like hand washing, cleaning of mobile phones with 70% isopropyl alcohol, using hand free mobile phone while working hours and well practiced infection control plan to bring down the rate of hospital acquired Infection.