title: Bacterial contamination of healthcare workers' uniforms: a randomized controlled trial of antimicrobial scrubs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Healthcare workers' (HCWs) uniforms become contaminated with bacteria during normal use, and this may contribute to hospital-acquired infections. Antimicrobial uniforms are currently marketed as a means of reducing this contamination.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the extent of bacterial contamination of uniforms and skin when HCWs wear 1 of 2 antimicrobial scrubs or standard scrubs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, randomized, controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  University-affiliated, public safety net hospital
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospitalist physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, housestaff, and nurses (total N = 105) working on internal medicine units.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were randomized to wear standard scrubs or 1 of 2 antimicrobial scrubs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bacterial colony counts in cultures taken from the HCWs' scrubs and wrists after an 8-hour workday.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median (interquartile range) total colony counts was 99 (66-182) for standard scrubs, 137 (84-289) for antimicrobial scrub type A, and 138 (62-274) for antimicrobial scrub type B (P = 0.36). Colony counts from participants' wrists were 16 (5-40) when they wore standard scrubs and 23 (4-42) and 15 (6-54) when they wore antimicrobial scrubs A and B, respectively (P = 0.92). Resistant organisms were cultured from 3 HCWs (4.3%) randomized to antimicrobial scrubs and none randomized to standard scrubs (P = 0.55). Six participants (5.7%) reported side effects to wearing scrubs, all of whom wore antimicrobial scrubs (P = 0.18).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found no evidence that either antimicrobial scrub product decreased bacterial contamination of HCWs' uniforms or skin after an 8-hour workday.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hospital Medicine, Denver Health, Denver, CO 80204, USA. marisha.burden@dhha.org
authors.forename: Marisha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burden
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Keniston
authors.forename: Maria G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: Carrie A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zoucha
authors.forename: Lilia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cervantes
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weed
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.forename: Connie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Richard K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Albert
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D058491:Bacterial Load / Q000379:methods*; D003020:Clothing / Q000592:standards*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial / Q000379:methods; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000592:standards*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents