Don't Borrow A Doctor's Phone
from the just-saying dept
This isn't the first time we've mentioned how dangerous infectious agents could travel via mobile phones. However, a new study looks at just how common it is for mobile phones in hospitals to carry infectious pathogens. And, it turns out that you probably should avoid using the mobile phone of anyone who works in a hospital. Consider this the counter-balance to stories about how helfpul mobile phones are in hospitals. Of course, there's already a solution to the problem: sterilizing phone chargers.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
No Subject Given
However, my sister is a doctor and I have to say most of them are absolute clean freaks. Lab techs, not so much, but they don't need cell phones because their necessary communications should involve internal phones.
The cause for worry on my behalf is private medical information being broadcast over wireless networks.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: No Subject Given
Even with a separate personal phone that was stored in a locker, it would still get infected by the air circulation system within the hospital. This is a significant cause of people getting sicker when staying in a hospital.
It doesn't matter how much of a clean freak you are, unless you disinfect the whole phone (under the battery, under the solder loops, etc) every time you leave the hospital, it will be compromised.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
How about ties???
All the doctors weat it and most of the time it falls out of the while appron that they wear. This ties take a lot of bacteria and germs in them and spread to families of doctors. This has been studies by a new york research student also.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: How about ties???
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
So wouldnt they get sick too?
There are germs and viruses all over, if they are "falling from the sky" on to the telephone, meaning they are airborne, and you are in the area, you are breathing them in anyway.
So what's the point? Granted if you're immune system is compromized then there might be an issue, but the body is pretty good at rejecting and combating those things on it's own.
So, to me, it's just another foray into the state of fear we all seem to live in today in this country (and others from what I hear, though some other countries seem to have real things to fear, not just bullsh&t that our country and media spout).
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: So wouldnt they get sick too?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Go Hands Free
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
No Subject Given
1) What about all the signs that say cell phones are not permitted inside hospitals, dr's offices etc? They too good to follow their own signs.
2) Here is a solution: SpectraLink. We use them here in our manufactuiring plant and they work really well. They even have a model designed specificaly for the healthcare industry. It will work with most PBX phone systems. You may have seen them in use at Lowes. spectralink.com
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
cell phones in a hospital
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: cell phones in a hospital
Now, Mobile Phones Are Good For Hospitals
My local hospital now allows cellphones.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: cell phones in a hospital
Actually, there was already talk about hospitals are allowing it cause it's been shown that cell phones do not interfer with hospital equipment.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Doctors
wash their hands first after touching (other)
sick people. Has all common sense left the medical
profession? Wash your hands, wash your hands,
wash your hands was the mantra to reduce your
chances of becoming sick and spreading disease.
Their excuse is it takes too much time to wash
so often and limits a doctor's throughput.
Hmm. They could save a lot of money on tongue
depressors if they didn't keep throwing perfectly
good ones away after every use... and needles,
they could save on needles too. BAH!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
No Subject Given
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
omg, a hand can contain over 1000 germs
While I can understand some caution, but if people keep things SOOOOO clean, the human body will never be able to naturally build the resitances against these diseases and viruses that are spreading around. And this is speaking from experience as somebody that doesn't concern about overly steralizing everything and has yet to be sick in 10 years.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: omg, a hand can contain over 1000 germs
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Nosocomial Infections
Patients are at the greatest risk, because they have their immune systems wiped out with industrial-strength antibiotics before and after surgery, surgical trauma, surgical wounds and a boatload of exotic pathogens in the air.
My grandmother used to say that hospitals are where old people go to die. In her case, she was right.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
eeeek
[ link to this | view in chronology ]