Cell Phones May Spread Infections

CHaN_316 writes "Yahoo is running an article talking about how cell phones from health workers are helping spread dangerous infections in hospitals. 'They found that 12 percent of healthcare providers' cell phones were contaminated with [Acinetobacter baumannii]. The results are disturbing because [it] has the propensity to develop resistance to almost all available antibiotics ... Cell phones provide a large dry surface that allows survival of A. baumannii--it requires no nutrients ... [it] is found in intensive care units, and the mortality rate among infected patients is very high -- between 50 and 60 percent.' The hospital that conducted this research no longer allows the use of cell phones, and are switching to devices that don't require hand contact like pagers." So how long before someone develops a cell phone that can be dunked in alcohol or run through the autoclave to sterilize it?

Comments

What about consumers?

[Firehawke]

Alright, but how many consumer phones are also a breeding ground for this sort of thing now? I'm sure the bacteria spread fairly quickly, so I have to wonder. Also, how would a consumer clean such an infected phone without destroying it?

Ya

[Darkman, Walkin Dude]

And while we're at it, we should sterilise the healthcare workers too. Honestly, this is just another knee-jerk pogrom against a new technology, wasting money that could have been better spent elsewhere.

ericson phone

[Anonymous Coward]

I own an ericson R310 Waterproof shockproof phone (antenae that looks like a sharks fin). I noticed that during the recent sars outbreak they seemed to be the phone of choice for the men in bunny suits!

Actually...

[MoeMoe]

So how long before someone develops a cell phone that can be dunked in alcohol or run through the autoclave to sterilize it?

Actually, you can dunk your phone in alcohol right now if you wanted (minus the screen)... I was a part-time cell phone dealer about 2 years ago, whenever a phone had water damage or got dirty internally, all we did was take the phone apart, get a toothbrush and rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) and start scrubbing away at the corrosion.

How about irradiation?

[Progman3K]

Wouldn't simply irradiating the cel phone do the trick?

Maybe some internal parts would need to be shielded to withstand it, but the external surface could be sterilized that way.

And what about Medical PDAs???

[G4from128k]

If cell phones harbor nasty germs, what about those PDA and Tablet PC medical terminals? The construction is equivalent -- lots of plastic, elastomeric buttons, touch screens, stylus, etc. Worse, medical terminals are more likely than are cell phones to be handled by multiple people.

Sterile cell phones

[DdJ]

So how long before someone develops a cell phone that can be dunked in alcohol or run through the autoclave to sterilize it?

Not necessary. Get a bluetooth cell phone, and seal it in a sterile plastic bag while at work. Then develop a bluetooth headset that can be sterilized. You can push the buttons on the phone through the plastic bag.

Heck, come to think of it, the plastic bag would let sound through without a problem. Just get a cell phone that you don't need to fold or unfold to use, and heat-seal it in a fresh sterile plastic bag every time you enter the hospital, and remove the plastic bag every time you leave. That would do the trick, wouldn't it?

lucky me, i'm neurotic.

[*weasel]

so I'm not surprised/affected in the least by this.

c'mon people, any object that is carried -everywhere- or used daily (potentially used by or in the immediate proximity of sick people) provides an opportunity for disease to spread. particularly when it's something that people never clean.

i honestly hope no-one is surprised by this.

it's reminicent of the studies that surprised you all a few years back, that showed the average computer workstation is dirtier (bacteria) than the average bathroom.

primarily because: how often do you clean around your PC? actually picking it up, moving it around, and wiping it all down with sanitizing pads? (particularly keyboard,mouse,wrist pads,power buttons,etc)

ok, now how often do you wipe down your cell phone with a sanitizing pad? exactly.
your phone is almost certainly more filthy than your toilet. think about that.

and while you do your reactionary one time cleaning, don't forget your pager, pda, land-lines, av remotes, video gaming controllers, camera, keys, wallet, laptop, and car interior (radio, steering wheel,shifter,beltbuckler,door handles,etc).

me? my neuroses keeps me well protected from you damned dirty apes.

It's the worker's *hands* that are the problem.

[upstateguy]

Certainly the cell phone is a conveinent place to pick up bugs. But so are doorknobs, restrooms, etc.

The real problem...and working in public health I know this hasn't changed even since the advent of germ theory...is just getting the damn workers (I *include* physicians) in hospitals to wash their hands corrrectly before working with a patient. I still see plenty of infectious disease workers more than happy to walk out of a bathroom without washing their hands.

And even if you do, when you touch just about anything (or just wait, as the stuff as you left on your hand grows) you could be putting patients...esp immunosuppresed patients (HIV/chemo/elderly) at great danger.

I always shudder seeing hospital staff walking outside on the streets in their scrubs, shoe covers and hair covers like they are some magical shield that will never pick up pathogens harmful to the patients.