Surface Microbiology of the iPad Tablet Computer and the Potential to Serve as a Fomite in Both Inpatient Practice Settings as Well as Outside of the Hospital Environment
Leonard SN (2014) Surface Microbiology of the iPad Tablet Computer and the Potential to Serve as a Fomite
in Both Inpatient Practice Settings as Well as Outside of the Hospital Environment. PLoS ONE 9(10): e111250. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0111250
Surface Microbiology of the iPad Tablet Computer and the Potential to Serve as a Fomite in Both Inpatient Practice Settings as Well as Outside of the Hospital Environment
Elizabeth B. Hirsch 0
Brian R. Raux 0
Jason W. Lancaster 0
Rachael L. Mann 0
Steven N. Leonard 0
Tara C. Smith, Kent State University, United States of America
0 Northeastern University, Bouve College of Health Sciences, School of Pharmacy , Boston, Massachusetts , United States of America
Background: The use of tablet computers and other touch screen technology within the healthcare system has rapidly expanded. It has been reported that these devices can harbor pathogens in hospitals; however, much less is known about what pathogens they can harbor when used outside the hospital environment compared to hospital practice. Methods: Thirty iPads belonging to faculty with a variety of practice settings were sampled to determine the presence and quantity of clinically-relevant organisms. Flocked nylon swabs and neutralizer solution were used to sample the surface of each iPad. Samples were then plated on a variety of selective agars for presence and quantity of selected pathogens. In addition, faculty members were surveyed to classify the physical location of their practice settings and usage patterns. Continuous variables were compared via an unpaired Student's t test with two-tailed distribution; categorical variables were compared with the Fisher's exact test. Results: Of the iPads sampled, 16 belonged to faculty practicing within a hospital and 14 belonged to a faculty member practicing outside a hospital. More faculty within the hospital group used their iPads at their practice sites (78.6% vs. 31.3%; p = 0.014) and within patient care areas (71.4% vs. 18.8%; p = 0.009) than the non-hospital group. There were no differences in the presence, absence, or quantity of, any of the pathogens selectively isolated between groups. Problematic nosocomial pathogens such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and P. aeruginosa were isolated from both hospital and non-hospital faculty iPads. Conclusions: Gram positive and Gram negative organisms were recovered from the surfaces of iPads regardless of practice setting; these included problematic multidrug-resistant pathogens like MRSA, VRE, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Healthcare personnel in all settings should be aware of the potential for tablet computers to serve as a nidus for microorganism transmission.
-
Funding: A portion of this work was supported by the Northeastern Universitys Provost Undergraduate Award (EBH and BRR). The funders had no role in study
design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The authors received no other specific funding for this work.
Competing Interests: The authors have read the journals policy and have the following competing interests: EBH: Received research funding from Nitto Denko
Technical Corporation. SNL: Received research funding from Nitto Denko Technical Corporation. Nitto Denko Technical Corporation played no role in this work.
This does not alter the authors adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.
Many hospital-associated pathogens are capable of surviving on
environmental surfaces and these surfaces, therefore, are a
potential reservoir for transmission of infection. For this reason,
many surfaces within the healthcare setting have been examined
for the presence of microorganisms [1,2,3,4,5]. Specifically,
handheld devices and other similar technologies have previously
been shown to act as fomites [2,3,6,7,8,9]. Recently, the use of
tablet computers (such as the Apple iPad [Apple Corp., Cupertino,
CA]) within the healthcare system has rapidly expanded; their use
may span multiple functions, including patient interaction and
education, study consent, medical applications (apps), or sharing
of data between clinicians [10,11,12]. A few studies have assessed
the ability of tablets to serve as fomites and found that they, like
other environmental surfaces in the healthcare system, are capable
of acting as reservoirs for potentially infectious agents [13,14].
However, little is known about the potential of these devices to
harbor pathogens in non-hospital healthcare settings. The
objective of this study was to elucidate the presence of
microorganisms on iPads used by clinicians in a variety of settings
under conditions of normal usage and to compare species
prevalence by type of practice site.
This study was conducted at Northeastern University in Boston,
MA, USA. Approximately 6 months following uniform
distribution of iPads to all Department of Pharmacy Practice faculty with a
variety (...truncated)