Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39816444›Full record

ArticleInfection prevention in practice2025

Bacterial burden and drug-resistant bacteria in healthcare workers' mobile phones: a study in Puerto Rican outpatient clinics.

R Scharbaai-Vázquez, A N García-Aponte, C Huertas-Ayala, E Y Martínez-Monegro, G M Guadalupe-Ríos, J Díaz-Portorreal, M I González-Torres, N M Fernández

Abstract read
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Article in Infection prevention in practice, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

R Scharbaai-VázquezSan Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas, Puerto Rico.
A N García-AponteSan Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas, Puerto Rico.
C Huertas-AyalaSan Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas, Puerto Rico.
E Y Martínez-MonegroSan Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas, Puerto Rico.
G M Guadalupe-RíosSan Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas, Puerto Rico.
J Díaz-PortorrealSan Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas, Puerto Rico.
M I González-TorresSan Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas, Puerto Rico.
N M FernándezSan Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Mobile phones used by healthcare workers (HCWs) in hospitals are significant reservoirs of drug-resistant bacteria responsible for hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). Aim: The objective of this study was to assess the level of contamination with such bacteria in outpatient clinics. Methods: Swabs from 83 HCWs' mobile phones were processed using standard biochemical and enzymatic procedures to identify pathogenic bacteria. β-Lactamase tests, antimicrobial susceptibility tests, screening for extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL), and carbapenemase production were performed according to CLSI guidelines. Molecular detection of multi-drug-resistant genes ( Findings: The overall prevalence of mobile phone contamination with one or more bacteria was 100%. A total of 51 Gram-positive and 44 Gram-negative isolates, including 20 coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), 20 Conclusions: The presence of HAI-causing organisms on mobile phones used by HCWs in outpatient clinics necessitates the implementation of infection control measures to mitigate the risk of cross-contamination in critical healthcare settings.

Indexed as

Antimicrobial resistanceExtended-spectrum β-lactamaseHealthcare workersMicrobial contaminationMobile phonesOutpatient clinics

Identifiers

PMID39816444
PMCPMC11732673

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.