Bacterial Contamination of Workwear

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Bacterial Contamination of Physician Attire
• Interventions: Other: Physician uniform

• Registration Number: NCT01192841
• Lead Sponsor: Denver Health and Hospital Authority

Brief Summary

Governmental agencies in the United Kingdom and Scotland have recently instituted guidelines banning physicians' white coats and wearing of long-sleeved garments to decrease hospital transmission of bacteria. The purpose of this study is to compare the bacterial contamination of physicians' white coats with that of newly laundered, standardized short-sleeved uniforms after an eight-hour workday and to determine the rate at which bacterial contamination of the uniform ensues. Our hypothesis was that the physician white coat would have more bacterial contamination at the end of the work day.

Detailed Description

Governmental agencies in the United Kingdom and Scotland have recently instituted guidelines banning physicians' white coats and wearing of long-sleeved garments to decrease nosocomial transmission of bacteria. Our goal was to compare the degree of bacterial and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus contamination of physicians' white coats with that of newly laundered, standardized short-sleeved uniforms after an eight-hour workday and to determine the rate at which bacterial contamination of the uniform ensues. 100 interns, residents, and hospitalists on an internal medicine service were randomized to wear either physician white coat or newly laundered, short-sleeved uniform. Bacterial colony counts and the frequency with which methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was found was compared in the two groups and over time. Our initial hypothesis was that physician white coats would have more bacterial contamination at the end of the work day.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2008-04
• Primary Completion: 2009-11
• Study Completion: 2009-11
• Status Verified: 2010-08
• Study First Submitted: 2010-08-30
• Study First Submitted QC: 2010-08-30
• Last Update Submitted: 2010-08-30
• Study First Posted: 2010-09-01
• Last Update Posted: 2010-09-01

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 110

Inclusion Criteria

• Internal medicine interns, residents, and hospitalists working on acute medicine ward service.

Exclusion Criteria

• Not willing/unable to participate in study
• Not working a full 8 hour day in the hospital

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Uniform group	Physician uniform	Participants were given a clean uniform (scrubs) at the beginning of the day.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Bacterial colony counts and the frequency with which methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was found over time	8 hours

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Denver Health; 🇺🇸 Denver, Colorado, United States