Riesgo microbiológico asociado al uso de teléfonos móviles en laboratorios clínicos hospitalarios de Maracaibo-Venezuela

• Main Authors: Paz-Montes América, Fuenmayor-Boscán Alisbeth, Sandrea Lisette, Colmenares Joelymar, Marín Milagros, Rodríguez Egleé
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish
• Published: Universidad del Zulia,Facultad de Medicina,Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Tropicales 2015
• Subjects: teléfonos móviles; riesgo microbiológico; bacterias patógenas; laboratorios clínicos; mobile phones; microbiological hazard; pathogenic bacteria; clinical laboratories; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/b005d3178de043448945a6df076120fc

Abstract: The use of mobile phones is widespread in health institutions, including areas with defined microbiological risk as clinical laboratories. In this study, the presence of potentially pathogenic bacteria was investigated in mobile phones of laboratory personnel of four hospitals of Maracaibo, Venezuela. Qualitative microbiological culture of swabs from the surface of 200 mobile phones was performed. A questionnaire was applied, to evaluate adherence of staff to standard hygiene practices during the workday. In 83% of phones bacterial contamination was evidenced, and 29% had bacteria with defined pathogenic potential, predominantly Enterococcus spp., strict anaerobes bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and enterobacteria. Some pathogenic strains showed resistance patterns suggestive of nosocomial bacteria. A high percentage of staff refused to apply minimal hygiene measures to manipulate their phones during the workday. Microbiological results, analyzed together with the low level of adherence of personnel to the standard hygienic practices, allow attributing an important hazard to mobiles phone use in clinical laboratories, which could involve not only owners of such devices and usual manipulators, but also could extend to his occasional manipulators in the community. Resumen: El uso de teléfonos móviles se ha generalizado en las instituciones de salud, inclusive en áreas con riesgos microbiológicos definidos, como los laboratorios clínicos. En el presente estudio, se investigó la presencia de bacterias potencialmente patógenas, en los teléfonos móviles del personal de laboratorio de cuatro instituciones hospitalarias de Maracaibo, Venezuela. Se realizó el cultivo microbiológico cualitativo de hisopados de la superficie de 200 teléfonos. Mediante un cuestionario se indagó la adherencia del personal a las prácticas higiénicas estándar durante la jornada laboral. En 83% de los teléfonos se evidenció contaminación bacteriana y en 29% se identificó agentes con potencial patogénico definido, predominando ...