Working with surgeons, operating room directors, service line leaders, lean practitioners and other industry leaders, I have heard about great pre-, intra- and post-operative risk prevention efforts.
One thing I had not heard about was the potential risk of infection from clothing.
Are your scrubs harboring and transporting unwanted bacteria into sterile environments?
Growing up I longed to own a pair of scrubs. As a hospital outsider, not a clinician or an employee of a medical practice, I was not someone who could rightfully purchase a pair as "business attire." I always envied the soft, pajama-like garb in addition to the prestige identified with the uniform. Scrubs seem like the most comfortable clothes to wear while still earning a nod of respect from the outside world. Whether you are walking your dog, socializing at Starbucks or shopping for groceries, you, rightfully, receive a slight smile from strangers acknowledging your strength, character, compassion and dedication to a selfless career.
To the outsider, scrubs also represent a sterile environment. After all, they are worn in sterile fields during surgery. However, healthcare infection prevention efforts now recognize that scrubs are often anything but sterile and can, in fact, be a breeding ground for infection creating bacteria..
I am not a germaphobe. This is evident in progressing through the activities of daily life. I have fully embraced the "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" attitude towards bacteria and often change clothes in airport restrooms and refill my water bottles from public fountains.
Yes, there is a difference between my daily routine activities and those of healthcare workers wearing scrubs. New expert guidance released in January by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, explores the rise in discussion around the potential transmission of microorganisms through clothing.
Is the comfort and convenience worth the potential risk?
Although I do not work on the front line of patient care, I do understand the horrific impact of medical infections — especially of those that can be minimized by our community of caregivers themselves. My typical healthcare experience, in a stiff business suit and uncomfortable heels, has taught me that practitioners, payers, employers, patients and family members are concerned with outcomes and infections. Complications like these are costly — impacting safety, reputation and profitability. Although studies have found pathogens on healthcare worker apparel, clinical data does not currently link the apparel worn by healthcare professionals to the transmission of the pathogen to patients. Still, potential contamination it is something to be aware of.
And now I ask, is keeping your scrubs, lab coat, name badges and other accessories free of contamination worth the extra time and effort? Although not as convenient, changing into your work attire at the hospital or practice is a simple process that helps reduce the chance of unnecessary infections through cross contamination.
Leslie Golba, MBA, is the medical education manager for Stryker Performance Solutions' Education and Assessments team. She can be reached at leslie.golba@stryker.com.