A review on mobile phones as bacterial reservoirs in healthcare environments and potential device decontamination approaches

Abstract

Mobile communication devices (MCDs), including cell phones and smart phones, have become an essential part of everyday life. Despite their frequent usage, most people, even healthcare personnel, often ignore the possibility that these devices might accumulate to carry a variety of microbial flora during and after the inspection of patients. The handling of MCDs with unwashed hands and/or their seldom cleaning can aggravate potential health risks. Many of the harbored bacteria species can be harmful to immune-suppressed patients for whom the disinfection precautions should be taken more seriously. In this review, we discuss the significance of maintaining the cleanliness of mobile devices, especially in healthcare settings, to prevent the spread of nosocomial infections in patients. Furthermore, we discuss strategies to address microbial contamination of MCDs to maintain good hand hygiene for the users of smartphones or other mobile communication devices. These techniques are capable of providing instant disinfection of the devices along with residual effects over prolonged periods.

Keywords: Bacterial reservoirs; Disinfection; Healthcare workers; Mobile phones; Sanitization.