title: Differential laundering practices of white coats and scrubs among health care professionals.
abstract: The role played by health care worker's uniforms on the horizontal transmission of organisms within the hospital is still controversial. To determine the differential laundering practices in regards to white coats and scrubs, we surveyed physicians present at the 3 weekly academic conferences with largest attendance at our hospital (medicine, pediatrics, and anesthesiology). Out of 160 providers, white coats were washed every 12.4 ± 1.1 days and scrubs every 1.7 ± 0.1 days (mean ± standard error; P < .001). Faculty physicians washed their scrubs more frequently than house staff (1.0 vs 1.9 days, respectively, P = .018), and no differences were observed among specialties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA. smunozprice@med.miami.edu
authors.forename: L Silvia
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Munoz-Price
authors.forename: Kristopher L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Arheart
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Lubarsky
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Birnbach
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission*; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D007846:Laundering / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011481:Protective Clothing / Q000382:microbiology*