- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Herbal Remedy Could Halt Peanut Allergy
- Combating Myths About Seasonal Allergies
- Using Music and Sports to Improve Kids' Asthma
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Wristbands May Lessen Nausea After Radiation
- Spot light on Dani Antman New Lionheart teacher
- Taking the Mystery Out of Hypnotherapy
- ANIMAL CARE
- Safe Toys for Dogs
- Beware of Dog Bites
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- BONES & JOINTS
- Resistance Training Boosts Mobility in Knee Arthritis Patients
- Put Your Best Foot Forward Next Year
- Exercise Key Player in Knee Replacement Recovery
- CANCER
- Gene Screen May Predict Colon Cancer's Return
- Many Cancer Patients Turn to Complementary Medicine
- Poor Women Seem to Be Skipping Breast Cancer Drugs
- CAREGIVING
- Obese Children More Likely to Suffer Lower Body Injuries
- Babies Born in High Pollen Months at Wheezing Risk
- Caregiving May Lengthen Life
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Common Antioxidant Might Slow Parkinson's
- Years of Exposure to Traffic Pollution Raises Blood Pressure
- Support Network May Play Role in Benefits of Drinking
- COSMETIC
- Health Tip: After Liposuction
- Mouse Study Finds Molecule That Tells Hair to Grow
- Get Sugared!.... Its a sweet choice for hair removal
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Obesity Boosts Gum Disease Risk
- Gummy Bears Join Cavity Fight
- Scientists Find Gene for Tooth Enamel
- DIABETES
- Abnormal Heart Rhythm Boosts Death Risk for Diabetics
- 'Standard' Glucose Test May Be Wrong One for Obese Children
- Vitamin K Slows Insulin Resistance in Older Men
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Low-Fat Diet Does Little to Alter Cholesterol Levels
- Eating More Soy May Be Good For Your Lung Function
- Blueberry Drink Protects Mice From Obesity, Diabetes
- DISABILITIES
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Childhood Food Allergies on the Rise
- Vitamin D Deficit May Trigger MS Risk Gene
- Cats Can Trigger Eczema in Some Infants
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Eye Disease, Cognitive Decline Linked in Study
- Omega-3 Foods May Lower Eye Disease Risk
- Antioxidant-Rich Diet May Protect Against Eye Disease
- FITNESS
- Football Can Shrink Players
- Be Healthy, Spend Less
- Walk Long, Slow and Often to Help the Heart
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Olive Oil May Protect Against Bowel Disease
- Intestinal Bacteria Trigger Immune Response
- Soothing Imagery May Help Rid Some Kids of Stomach Pain
- GENERAL HEALTH
- New Options Offered for Sleep Apnea
- Man Dies of Brain Inflammation Caused by Deer Tick Virus
- Life Expectancy in U.S. Hits New High
- HEAD & NECK
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- Save Your Aging Brain, Try Surfing The Web
- Study Suggests Link Between Cell Phones and Brain Tumors
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Fatty Fish May Cut Heart Failure Risk in Men
- After a Stroke, Light Exercise Gets Hands, Arms Working Again
- Omega-6 Fatty Acids Can Be Good for You
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Bacterial Infections May Succumb to Honey
- Surgical Masks Could Prevent Flu, Maybe
- Poor Restroom Cleaning Causes Cruise-Ship Sickness
- KID'S HEALTH
- Treat Kids to a Safe Halloween
- Don't Leave Your Kids In The Car !
- Better Sleep, Grades Seem to Go Up
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Low Iron Levels Cut Cancer Risk in Men With PAD
- Soy Linked to Low Sperm Count
- Lots of Sex May Prevent Erectile Dysfunction
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Eight Spiritual Universal Principles in the Art of Practice
- Musicians' Brains Tuned to Emotions in Sound
- Man's Best Friend Helps Mend Broken Hearts
- PAIN
- Alleviating Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Tai Chi May Help Ease Fibromyalgia
- Are We Exercising Pain Away? Not So Much.
- PREGNANCY
- Obesity May Affect Fertility in Young Womene
- Acupuncture May Ease Depression During Pregnancy
- Exercise As Well As Acupuncture, May Ease Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
- SENIORS
- Protein Deposits May Show Up Before Memory Problems Occur, Study Says
- Exercise Benefits Even the Oldest Old
- Life Expectancy in U.S. Hits New High
Are Hospital Mobile Phones Dialing Up Superbugs?
By eHolistic.com Published: 03/06/2009
FRIDAY, March 6 (HealthDay News) -- A new culprit has emerged in the spread of the tough-to-kill "superbug" bacteria and other infections in hospitals -- mobile phone headsets.
Turkish researchers testing the phones of doctors and nurses working in hospitals found that 95 percent were contaminated with bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which can cause serious staph infections and is resistant to certain common antibiotics.
The team from the Faculty of Medicine at the Ondokuz Mayis University also found that only 10 percent of the staff regularly cleaned their phones.
"Our results suggest cross-contamination of bacteria between the hands of health care workers and their mobile phones. These mobile phones could act as a reservoir of infection which may facilitate patient-to-patient transmission of bacteria in a hospital setting," the authors wrote in their study, published online in the Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials.
To combat the spread of disease and infections through contaminated hand-held electronic devices, the authors recommended proactive strategies to disinfect and decontaminate the devices and the practice of improved hand hygiene.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about MRSA.
-- Kevin McKeever
SOURCE: BioMed Central, news release, March 5, 2009
Last Updated: March 06, 2009
Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
More articles at www.eholistic.com
