Extended-spectrum ?-lactamase–producing Enterobacteriaceae in cell phones of health care workers from Peruvian pediatric and neonatal intensive care units - 30/07/16
, Luz R. Gutierrez, MT a, Gertrudis Horna, MT a, Kyle Petersen, DO b, Juan Agapito, MSc a, Jorge Osada, MD, MSc a, c, Paul Rios, MT b, Andres G. Lescano, PhD, MHS a, b, Jesus Tamariz, PhD aHighlights |
• | Phones may serve as mechanical vectors to transmit bacteria within and across wards. |
• | Phones can be an important source of multidrug-resistant or extended-spectrum β-lactamase bacteria. |
• | Phones keep pathogens randomly circulating in intensive care units, representing an infection risk. |
Abstract |
Background |
Health care workers (HCWs) use their mobile phones during working hours or medical care. There is evidence that the instruments are colonized with pathogenic microorganisms. Here, we describe levels of Enterobacteriaceae contamination (EC) in cell phones and the risk factors associated with EC in Peruvian intensive care units (ICUs).
Methods |
This was a 5-month cohort study among 114 HCWs of 3 pediatric and 2 neonatology ICUs from 3 Peruvian hospitals. A baseline survey collected data on risk factors associated with EC. Swabs were collected from HCWs' phones every other week.
Results |
Three-quarters of HCWs never decontaminated their phones, and 47% reported using the phones in the ICU >5 times while working. EC was frequent across samplings and sites and was substantially higher in subjects with longer follow-up. Potential risk factors identified did not have strong associations with positive samples (relative risk, 0.7-1.5), regardless of significance. Half of the phones were colonized with an Enterobacteriaceae at least once during the 4 samplings attained on average during the study period. Half of the isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR), and 33% were extended-spectrum β-lactamase producers.
Conclusions |
EC on HCWs' phones was frequent and apparently randomly distributed through the hospitals without clear clustering or strongly associated risk factors for having a positive sample. Based on the level of EC, phones may be considered as potential bacterial reservoirs of MDR and ESBL bacteria.
Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.Key Words : Infectious disease transmission, professional-to-patient, Cell phones, Enterobacteriaceae, Health personnel
Plan
| Conflicts of Interest: None to report. |
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| Funding/Support: Supported by a competitive student award received from the “Fondo de Apoyo a la Investigación 2011” program offered by the School of Medicine “Alberto Hurtado,” Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru and the “Peru Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Research Training Consortium,” sponsored by the Fogarty International Center of the US National Institutes of Health (grant 2D43 TW007393) and awarded to A.G.L. |
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| Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government. |
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| Additional Information: Several authors of this article are military service members or employees of the U.S. Government. This work was prepared as part of their official duties. Title 17 U.S.C. §105 provides that “Copyright protection under this title is not available for any work of the United States Government.” Title 17 U.S.C. §101 defines a U.S. Government work as a work prepared by a military service member or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person's official duties. |
Vol 44 - N° 8
P. 910-916 - août 2016 Retour au numéro
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