Disinfecting handheld electronic devices with UV-C in a healthcare setting

Abstract

Handheld Electronic Devices (HEDs) play a central role in the current hospital environment. However, HEDs can be a potential vehicle for transmitting (pathogenic) microorganisms. We conducted a study to assess whether disinfection with UV-C light is successful in disinfecting three different handheld electronic devices in a clinical operational setting. More than half of the baseline measurements were moderately (>10CFU) or highly (>50 CFU) contaminated. Post-disinfection the CFU was 0 in 87% of measurements. We conclude that the UV-Smart D25 can successfully be used to disinfect non-critical handheld electronic devices in the clinical healthcare.

Disinfecting mobile devices in health care settings

“…After use of the sanitizer, 82 percent of the smartphones had 0 colony‐forming units. These results indicate that using the sanitizer once or twice a day can result in consistently decreased contamination of smartphones 1 …”

“…Mobile devices, such as phones and tablets, are convenient tools to aid health care delivery; 1 however, they have been shown to carry pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus , coagulase‐negative Staphylococcus, Micrococcus species, Pseudomonas species, and Escherichia coli , and are sources of cross‐contamination in ORs and intensive care and inpatient units 2 . Although proper cleaning and disinfection of mobile devices is essential for safe patient care, 1 one study identified that only 13 percent of health care personnel routinely disinfect them 3 . According to James Davis, MSN, RN, HEM, CIC, CCRN‐K, FAPIC, manager of infection prevention and control services, ECRI, Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, contamination of mobile devices is an underrecognized concern.…”