Wedding Rings are not a Significant Source of Bacterial Contamination Following Surgical Scrubbing

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Despite some evidence that the wearing of rings may increase the microbial load, there is currently nothing to suggest that viable bacteria remain following a standard surgical scrub. The aim of the study was to examine the distribution and type of microbial flora seen on the hands of doctors following a standard surgical scrub.MATERIALS AND METHODS Ten surgeons and 10 anaesthetists, all of whom wore wedding rings on the fourth finger of their left hand, participated in the study. Each individual was asked to 'scrub-up' as for their normal first scrub of the day. Following completion of washing, the wedding ring was removed, its internal circumference swabbed and the swab placed in a culture medium. Volunteers placed each hand palm-down on separate agar plates. The plates were incubated and the number of colonies counted and classified. RESULTS The culture plates of one of the anaesthetists were damaged in transit leaving a total of 19 subjects for analysis. In all the palm imprint plates, coagulase-negative staphylococci were grown. One surgeon grew coagulase-negative staphylococci from the ring swab. A Candida spp. from the right hand of one surgeon was grown. There was no statistically significant difference between the number of colony-forming units (CFUs) cultured from the right and left (ring-wearing) hands of the surgeons (P = 0.260) and anaesthetists (P = 0.345). There was no statistical difference in CFUs when surgeons were compared with anaesthetists (P = 0.383 for right hand and P = 0.234 for left).CONCLUSIONS This preliminary study would suggest that a traditional band wedding ring is not a source of a bacterial load following a standard surgical scrub procedure and, as such, there is no requirement for their removal pre-operatively.

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“…2006, Fagernes & Nord 2007, Fagernes et al. 2007, Wongworawat & Jones 2007, Al‐Allak et al. 2008, Rupp et al.…”

Heightened Infection-Control Practices are Associated with Significantly Lower Infection Rates in Office-Based Mohs Surgery

“…Studies conducted by Bartlett and colleagues and Trick and colleagues have demonstrated a higher microbial load in the presence of jewelry, 12,13 but Wongworawat and colleagues found that the presence of a ring did not negatively affect the effectiveness of alcohol‐based hand sanitizers 14 . Similarly, Al‐Allak and colleagues found that a traditional wedding band is not a source of bacteria sufficient to warrant its removal before a surgical procedure 15 …”

Impacto del uso de anillos y uñas esmaltadas en la calidad de la higiene de manos en el personal de salud

“…Posteriormente, éste se retiraba y mediante una tórula estéril se cultivaba su circunferencia interna y las manos de los participantes en placas de agar sangre. Todas las muestras de las manos resultaron positivas para algún agente infeccioso, pero no se observaron diferencias significativas entre las manos derechas e izquierdas de los cirujanos (p = 0,26) ni de los anestesistas (p = 0,383) 40 . Corresponde a un estudio observacional, de pequeño tamaño muestral (19 participantes).…”