Prospective study on the effect of shirt sleeves and ties on the transmission of bacteria to patients.
Costs associated with hospital-acquired infections lead to policies aimed at decreasing their incidence. Clothing restrictions are often implemented in response, but they are based on little scientific evidence. This study is a prospective, controlled investigation of the effect of shirt sleeves and ties on the transmission of bacteria from doctors to patients. Results show that wearing an unsecured tie results in greater transmission, but that sleeve length does not affect transmission rate. The design is a possible model for further controlled experiments to fill the evidence gap regarding the transmission of micro-organisms from healthcare workers to patients.
Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, Scott & White Healthcare, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple, Texas 7508, USA. rweber@swmail.sw.org
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D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003020:Clothing; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D017757:Infectious Disease Transmission, Professional-to-Patient; D008297:Male; D016982:Micrococcus luteus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010820:Physicians; D011446:Prospective Studies