Background: Today mobil phones has been incorporated in our daily lives to such an extent that they are used in the operating theater for both professional and private matters. The advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of mobile phones in the healthcare sector are described in studies.

Aim: To describe healthcare professionals use and managing of professional phones and private mobile phones in the operating theater.

Method: The design is a descriptive cross-sectional study with 40 structured observations in the operating theater and a questionnaire survey. The study was conducted in three surgical departments at a Swedish children's hospital. The participants were anesthetic nurses, physicians, operating theater nurses and assistant nurses. Data was analyzed descriptively in SPSS.

Result: The observations showed that of 477 phone uses, 287 (60.2%) were private mobile phones and 190 (39.8%)professional phones. The adherence to basal hygiene guidelines before and after telephone use, n = 477, was 93 (19.4%) and 103 (21.5%), respectively. The questionnaire showed that 9 (27.2%) of the participants experienced daily that the use of private mobile phones disturbed team members in the operating theater. Eight (24, 2%) of participants experienced daily, 7 (21.7%) weekly, employees became less concentrated due to the use of private mobile phones.

Conclusion: Increased compliance with basic hand hygiene guidelines, designing policies regarding the use of private mobile phones in the operating theater and a discussion concerning what is ethically correct in relation to the patients can be considered essential. Further studies are needed for continued exploration of the use and managing of mobile phones in the operating theater.