Transmission of nosocomial pathogens by white coats: an in-vitro model

Butler, Deborah; Major, Yvette; Bearman, Gonzalo; Edmond, Michael B.

doi:10.1016/j.jhin.2009.11.024

Cited by 23 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…physicians, residents, nurses) in acute care settings in various departments. 31,34,39,43,45,46,62,63 Outside of hospital settings, Gaspard et al established that high levels of MRSA contaminate HCWs' uniforms in long-term care facilities. 50 Another study aimed to determine the association between the bacterial contamination of HCWs' hands and lab coats and scrub suits.…”

Section: Bioburden and Microbial Retention On Soft Surfacesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Uncertainties about the effectiveness of home laundering are further illustrated in another study which reported that 39% of nurses' uniforms laundered at home were contaminated with MDROs at the beginning of the work shift. 30,31,36,39 The laundry conundrum is further complicated because, even if the laundering procedures, whether at home or at work, produce clean textiles, bacterial recontamination of these surfaces will occur within hours of donning newly laundered uniforms. The previously mentioned home-laundered nurses' uniforms showed an increase in contamination from 39% at the beginning of the work shift to 54% by the end of the day.…”

Section: Laundering Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Role of healthcare apparel and other healthcare textiles in the transmission of pathogens: a review of the literature

Mitchell

Spencer

Edmiston

2015

Journal of Hospital Infection

184

115

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Healthcare workers (HCWs) wear uniforms, such as scrubs and lab coats, for several reasons: (1) to identify themselves as hospital personnel to their patients and employers; (2) to display professionalism; and (3) to provide barrier protection for street clothes from unexpected exposures during the work shift. A growing body of evidence suggests that HCWs' apparel is often contaminated with micro-organisms or pathogens that can cause infections or illnesses. While the majority of scrubs and lab coats are still made of the same traditional textiles used to make street clothes, new evidence suggests that current innovative textiles function as an engineering control, minimizing the acquisition, retention and transmission of infectious pathogens by reducing the levels of bioburden and microbial sustainability. This paper summarizes recent literature on the role of apparel worn in healthcare settings in the acquisition and transmission of healthcare-associated pathogens. It proposes solutions or technological interventions that can reduce the risk of transmission of micro-organisms that are associated with the healthcare environment. Healthcare apparel is the emerging frontier in epidemiologically important environmental surfaces.

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Section: Bioburden and Microbial Retention On Soft Surfacesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Laundering Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of healthcare apparel and other healthcare textiles in the transmission of pathogens: a review of the literature

Mitchell

Spencer

Edmiston

2015

Journal of Hospital Infection

184

115

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…While healthcare providers' hands and medical devices are widely accepted sources of pathogen transmission, recent studies indicate that healthcare attire could potentially contribute to transmission as well. 1 In the United Kingdom, the practice of bare below the elbows (BBE) has been adopted to decrease the potential risk of cross transmission between healthcare attire and patients. 2 Furthermore, experts from the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America suggest BBE in the inpatient setting as an infection prevention adjunct based on biological plausibility.…”

Section: Seasonal Variation In Bare-below-the-elbow Compliancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…To the Editor-Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are the most common healthcare-associated infection (HAI), accounting for one-third of infections acquired in hospitals in the United States. 1 The National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) methodology for detecting CAUTI employs active surveillance with standardized definitions applied by infection preventionists and is currently considered the gold standard for surveillance. 2 However, NHSN surveillance typically requires utilizing trained infection preventionists to perform surveillance that is relatively labor intensive.…”

Section: Seasonal Variation In Bare-below-the-elbow Compliancementioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal Variation in Bare-Below-the-Elbow Compliance

Masroor

Doll

Sanogo

et al. 2017

Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol.

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Seasonal Variation in Bare-Below-the-Elbow ComplianceTo the Editor-The increasing risk of pathogen transmission within the hospital setting continues to be a challenge for hospital infection prevention programs striving to reduce hospital-acquired infections. While healthcare providers' hands and medical devices are widely accepted sources of pathogen transmission, recent studies indicate that healthcare attire could potentially contribute to transmission as well. 1 In the United Kingdom, the practice of bare below the elbows (BBE) has been adopted to decrease the potential risk of cross transmission between healthcare attire and patients. 2 Furthermore, experts from the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America suggest BBE in the inpatient setting as an infection prevention adjunct based on biological plausibility. 3 At Virginia Commonwealth University Health System (VCUHS), BBE is recommended in the inpatient setting to facilitate hand hygiene and to limit cross transmission of pathogens via contaminated apparel. BBE requires all healthcare providers to wear short sleeves and to avoid wristwatches, bracelets, neckties, or white coats at the bedside. Although BBE has been an infection prevention recommendation since January 2009 at VCUHS, compliance assessment began in May 2014. We explored the correlation between BBE compliance and average monthly climate temperature.This study was performed at an 865-bed, urban, academic medical center with 8 intensive care units and 25 non-intensive care units. In May 2014, trained hand-hygiene observers began measuring BBE compliance among healthcare providers. Healthcare providers were considered compliant with BBE if they wore short sleeves or rolled up their sleeves and avoided wearing wristwatches, bracelets, neckties, and white coats during patient encounters in the inpatient setting. Compliance was recorded as presence or absence of BBE at the bedside, but specific reasons for noncompliance were not documented. We compared monthly BBE compliance to the average local monthly climate temperatures from May 2014 through September 2015. Temperatures were obtained from an online weather source (www.accuweather.com). The relationship between BBE compliance and local climate temperatures was assessed using a correlation analysis software (SAS version 9.4, SAS Institute, Cary, NC).Over the 16-month study period, 46,832 patient encounters were observed in the inpatient setting. The overall compliance 504 infection control & hospital epidemiology april 2017, vol. 38, no. 4 for BBE was 68% (monthly range, 55%-72%). BBE compliance varied by provider type. Nurses had an average BBE compliance of 70%, and physicians averaged 49% BBE compliance. Figure 1 depicts BBE compliance and monthly average climate temperatures. Monthly climate temperature and BBE compliance were highly correlated (r = 0.89), with compliance decreasing as seasonal temperature decreased. Inpatient ambient temperatures are maintained between 21.1°C and 23.9°C (70-75°F) year-round at VCUHS.A strong correla...

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“…Das eine Transmission von MRSA, VRE und multiresistenten Acinetobacter-Spezies von Arbeitskleidung auf Schweinehaut möglich ist, konnte bereits in einem invivo-Modell nachgewiesen werden [4].…”

Section: Introductionunclassified