A recent article[1] reported on research showing harmful bacteria can linger on computer keyboards and provide a means of spreading infection. The bacteria were deliberately placed on the keyboards, rather than transmitted by users’ hands, but the point was made that contaminated keyboards can pass on pathogens to later users. The authors recommended frequent disinfection of computer keyboards accessed by multiple users and hand washing after using keyboards and before contact with patients.
On one level, this study has some value. It defines the length of time the bacteria tested remain viable on keyboard surfaces and points out the soundness of their regular disinfection. However, although the article recommends frequent disinfection of keyboards, it gives the reader no practical information on what techniques or substances are effective and yet safe for keyboards.
On another level, this study seems wasteful of scarce research dollars. We have long known that infections can be transmitted by surfaces. It has also been shown repeatedly that hand washing after contact with potentially contaminated surfaces and before eating, preparing food, or touching others is the best way to prevent such transmission. Even young children are taught the usefulness of hand washing. Is there a benefit in testing more and more types of surfaces to prove again the same point?
As one holding board certification under the American Board of Preventive Medicine who has personal experience with medicine’s limited ability to cure once disease is present, I am a cheerleader for preventing disease when possible and for frequent hand washing, especially after contact with surfaces touched by others and before activities where one might transmit infection. However, I feel that there are many other topics in both medicine in general and prevention in particular that are yet to be studied adequately, and that these research dollars could have been more wisely spent. In our resource-limited environment, we need to be ever mindful of the need to steward wisely what we have. It would be hard to argue that studies like this one produce “the most bang for the buck.”
References
[1] Steven Reinberg, “Computer Keyboards Spread More Than Words,” HealthDay News, April 11, 2005, http://health.myway.com/art/id/525006.html (accessed April 18, 2005).