Bayraktar, MehmetKaya, EyyupOzturk, AliIbahim, Bashar Mohammed Salih2024-11-072024-11-0720212666-99272666-9919https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idnow.2021.05.007https://hdl.handle.net/11480/15704Objective: To evaluate bacterial isolates, antibiotic susceptibility, and disease transmission risk in healthcare workers using cellphones. Methods: A total of 70 cellphones were received from the hospital staff. Samples were collected from the phones with a sterile cotton swab moistened with physiological saline solution. Samples were inoculated in a bacteriological culture medium and incubated at 37.5 degrees C for 24-48 hours. Identification of microorganisms was performed by traditional methods and VITEK 2 device. Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method was used to determine antibiotic susceptibility. Results: A total of 26 species and 170 microorganisms were isolated from 66 cellphones from which bacterial growths were obtained: coagulase-negative staphylococci (n = 63, 37%) (most commonly-Staphylococcus epidermidis: 25/63), Micrococcus luteus (n = 25, 14.7%), Tetracoccus (n = 24, 14.1%), Kocuria spp. (n = 24, 14.1%), Corynebacterium diphtheriae (n = 7, 4.1%), Leuconostoc mesenteroides (n = 5, 3.0%), S. aureus (n = 4, 2.3%), Enterococcus spp. (n = 5, 2.9%), Acinerobacter spp. (n = 7, 4.1%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 2, 1.2%), Actinomyces spp. (n = 1, 0.6%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 1, 0.6%), Morganella morgardi (a = 1, 0.6%), and Alcaligenes faecalis (a = 1, 0.6%). Gram-positive isolates were all susceptible to the antibiotics used, whereas Gram-negative isolates were all resistant to ceftazidime. Conclusion: Hands and/or cellphones of healthcare staff can be contaminated with various types of microorganisms. We recommend proper hand washing and disinfection to prevent bacterial pathogens spread within the hospital.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccessMobile PhonesInfectionsArticle51759660210.1016/j.idnow.2021.05.007340910942-s2.0-85110193730Q2WOS:000700347200003N/A