This study was carried out to define the bacteriological contamination of hospital telephones which were used by a lot of people and to determine risks of this contamination for nosocomial infections. Seventy-three samples were obtained by broth wetted swabs from telephones. These samples were inoculated to Eosin Methylene Blue and 5% sheep blood agar. After 48 hours of incubation, colonies were identified. The growth was determined in 63 mouthpieces ( % 86) and 72 handles ( % 99) of these telephones. The most frequently observed bacterium was coagulase negative staphylococcus; in 54 mouthpieces (% 78) and 68 handles (% 93) in telephones. The bacterium grown are as follows: Staphylococcus aureus 4 (% 5), Streptococcus pneumoniae 12 (% 16), Klebsiella pneumoniae 2 (%3), Escherichia coli 2 (%3) in telephone mouthpieces. On the handles of telephones, these bacteria were: S. aureus 4 (% 5), S. pneumoniae 3 (% 4).

As a result, telephones were found to be direct contamination by hands and airborne contamination at our hospital. These results suggest that telephones must be cleaned and disinfected. Especially; education of healthcare personnel seems quite important about hand washing.