Introduction: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) remain a significant threat to patient safety. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and extent of microbial contamination of cell phones (CPs) used by medical staff, medical students, and visitors to pediatric patients with hematological and oncological diseases and immune disorders, as well as their potential contribution to microbial dissemination in the hospital environment. Material and methods: The study was conducted at the Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation at the University Children's Hospital in Lublin between May and July 2025. Samples were collected by swabbing the surfaces of cell phones. The samples were analyzed in an out-sourced laboratory in accordance with standard procedures. Additionally, patients' medical records were reviewed for signs of infection. Results: Forty active CP users were included in the study, including visitors (n = 13), students (n = 12), nurses (n = 8), and doctors (n = 7). Contamination was detected in 32/40 (80%) CP samples. A total of 61 strains were isolated: 60 bacterial strains and 1 mold isolate. The most prevalent species were Micrococcus luteus (33.3%; n = 20) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (23.3%; n = 14). The highest proportion of contaminated CPs was observed among nurses (87.5%). Symptoms of infection were observed in 7 patients; however, no correlation was found between the microorganisms isolated from CPs and the etiological agents identified in patients with infections. Conclusions: The results indicate that CPs used by medical staff are frequently contaminated with bacteria. This suggests that, in addition to their communicative function, they may serve as potential reservoirs of microorganisms and therefore warrant attention in infection prevention strategies.
Introduction: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is intricately linked to gut microbiota dysbiosis and has been associated with different traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) constitution types. This study explored the fecal microbiota composition in MASLD patients to investigate the associations underlying the disease. Material and methods: In this study, 51 MASLD patients and 46 healthy controls were classified into seven TCM constitution groups based on high-throughput sequencing of fecal samples. Analyses were conducted to compare microbial communities, metabolite profiles, and metabolic pathways among these constitution groups. The relationships between specific microbiota and biochemical indicators were evaluated using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) and Spearman correlation analyses. Results: MASLD patients exhibited reduced fecal microbiota diversity compared to healthy controls, with significant variations in microbial structure among TCM constitution groups. The damp-heat constitution (DHC) and phlegm-dampness constitution (PDC) groups displayed enriched populations of specific microbial species, distinct bacterial taxa, and unique metabolite profiles. Multiple significant pathways related to amino acid, fatty acid, and carbohydrate metabolism were identified through metabolic pathway enrichment analysis. Significant correlations were observed between specific microbial taxa and biochemical indicators such as triglycerides, total cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Conclusions: This study highlights the close association between alterations in gut microbiota, TCM constitution differences, and MASLD progression. The findings suggest that changes in microbial diversity and metabolite profiles may contribute to MASLD pathogenesis. The identification of constitution-specific microbial may provide insights into personalized intervention strategies for MASLD.
