Should doctors' scrubs be as clean as their hands?
The New York Times reports that,
“Amid growing concerns about hospital infections and a rise in drug-resistant bacteria, the attire of doctors, nurses and other health care workers — worn both inside and outside the hospital — is getting more attention. While infection control experts have published extensive research on the benefits of hand washing and equipment sterilization in hospitals, little is known about the role that ties, white coats, long sleeves and soiled scrubs play in the spread of bacteria.
“The discussion was reignited this year when the British National Health Service imposed a “bare below the elbows” rule barring doctors from wearing ties and long sleeves, both of which are known to accumulate germs as doctors move from patient to patient.
“But while some data suggest that doctors’ garments are crawling with germs, there’s no evidence that clothing plays a role in the spread of hospital infections.”
Apparently there are some textiles being manufactured with antimicrobial components. I really have no opinion. But when it comes to Scrubs, Everything Comes Down to Poo.
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/admin/trackback/87778
How did you find that video? As a dietitian I laundered my own lab coat. You'd think with a clean job (no hands on patient contact) it would stay clean, but the coats picked up a lot of grime. The hospital provided lab coat laundry service and I think scrubs, also, for the doctors. An aside--many doctors wear bow ties, apparently because sometimes patients reach up and grab the tie as the doctor leans over to examine them. Love the Barf Blog and refer others to it.