O-81 “Walking with the enemy”: bacterial contamination of mobile phones among healthcare workers and mothers in a hospital neonatal care unit

Methods: A convergent mixed-methods approach was employed, integrating laboratory-based microbiological analysis with a quantitative questionnaire survey. Mobile phones from 76 participants, comprising 38 HCW and 38 admitted mothers in the NCU at a tertiary hospital, were swabbed to assess bacterial contamination. Structured questionnaires were administered to collect data on hygiene and phone-handling practices. Swab samples were analysed using standard laboratory methods to determine bacterial load and to identify the presence of Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella spp./Enterobacter spp.

Results: Bacterial contamination was detected on the majority of mobile phones sampled (94.7%). HCW’s phones demonstrated a higher mean bacterial load (0.85 ± 1.27 CFU/ cm²) compared with those of admitted mothers (0.39 ± 0.76 CFU/cm²); however, this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.120). Most phones (96.1%) were classified as having a low bacterial burden. S. aureus was the most frequently isolated organism (30.3%), followed by Klebsiella spp./Enterobacter spp. (14.5%) and CoNS (3.9%). E. coli was not detected in any of the samples. For hygiene practices, 22.4% of participants, predominantly admitted mothers, reported never cleaning their mobile phones, despite 96.1% indicating awareness that mobile phones can harbour microorganisms. Neonatal infections identified during the study period in the NICU were Staphylococcus haemolyticus, CoNS, ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, Methicillin-resistant-CoNS, and E. coli.

Conclusion: Although bacterial contamination was highly prevalent on mobile phones in the NCU the overall bacterial load was low. However, the presence of clinically significant organisms, including S. aureus, CoNS, and Klebsiella spp./Enterobacter spp., highlights their potential role as fomites and emphasizes the importance of regular mobile phone hygiene and strict infection prevention practices in neonatal healthcare settings.