Search

Surgical headwear is designed to maintain sterility and prevent microbial contamination. However, the environmental impact of the healthcare industry carries an obligation to develop sustainable alternatives. We aim to explore the environmental impact and safety of reusable surgical headwear. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed using MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library until December 10, 2023. Studies were reviewed for suitability and risk of bias using the ROBINS-I tool, with the results aggregated using Review Manager Version 5.4 for odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and the I2 was used to assess heterogeneity. This systematic review included nine studies, and the meta-analysis included six studies involving 45,708 procedural cases. There was no significant difference in surgical site infection (SSI) rates between the reusable and disposable groups (OR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.59–1.07; P =0.13). Policy implementation did not affect SSI rates (OR: 1.21; 95% CI: 0.85–1.73; P =0.30). Reusable surgical head covers demonstrated a significantly lower carbon footprint (P <0.001), ozone depletion (P <0.005), fossil fuel depletion (P <0.005), terrestrial acidification (P <0.005), and fine particulate matter formation (P <0.005) than disposable alternatives. Reusable surgical headwear matches disposable options for SSI incidence and offers environmental advantages. These findings support a shift towards reusable alternatives in healthcare, aligning patient safety with ecological responsibility. By adopting reusable alternatives, healthcare systems can actively contribute to planetary health, thereby highlighting the significant role of sustainable practices in modern medical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perioperative team members wear surgical attire when working in the OR. Wearing clean surgical attire is important to maintain a high level of cleanliness for patient safety. The recently updated AORN "Guideline for surgical attire" provides perioperative nurses with recommendations for wearing surgical attire in the semirestricted and restricted areas of the perioperative setting. This article discusses recommendations for laundering; head coverings; shoes; and identification badges, access cards, and personal items. It also includes a scenario describing compliance monitoring for an updated policy related to cleaning cell phones and performing hand hygiene after cell phone use. Perioperative nurses should review the guideline in its entirety and apply the recommendations for wearing surgical attire in the perioperative environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sterile surgical helmet systems are frequently utilized in total knee arthroplasty procedures to protect the surgeon while maintaining a comfortable working environment. However, common helmet systems pressurize the space between the surgical gown and the surgeon's skin. In gowns with a back seam, this may allow contaminated skin particles to escape into the surgical field. By measuring bacterial colony-forming units (CFUs), this study sought to determine if occlusion of the open back seam reduced the risk of potential contamination. First, qualitative analysis depicting airflow variations between gown configurations was performed using the Schlieren Spherical Mirror imaging system. Each gown configuration consisted of a sterile surgical helmet and one of 3 gown configurations: a standard gown with rear-tied closure, a standard gown with a surgical vest, and a zippered Toga-style gown. Next, a surgeon then performed simulated surgical activities for 60 minutes within a 1.4 m3 isolation chamber with work surfaces and controllable filtered air exchanges. During each procedure, contaminated particles were collected on sets of agar settle plates positioned directly behind the surgeon. Upon completion, the agar plates were incubated in a biolab, and the number of bacterial and fungal CFUs was counted. The experimental procedure was repeated 12 times for each gown configuration, with sterilization of the chamber between runs. Contamination rates were expressed as CFUs/m2/h. The mean contamination rate measured with the standard gown was 331.7 ± 52.0 CFU/m2/h. After the addition of a surgical vest, this rate decreased by 45% to 182.2 ± 30.8 CFU/m2/h (P =.02). Similarly, with the Toga-style gown, contamination rates dropped by 49% to 170.5 ± 41.9 CFU/m2/h (P =.01). When used in conjunction with surgical helmet systems, conventional surgical gowns do not prevent potential contamination of the surgical field. We recommend that staff within the surgical field cover the back seam of standard gowns with a vest or don a zippered Toga-style gown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Tonsillectomy is a common procedure performed nationally. The personal protective equipment and surgical gowning practices used during this procedure vary widely. We compiled a survey of ENT specialists to gain a national opinion about gowning in tonsillectomy with the aim of determining whether we could make it more environmentally friendly whilst maintaining the highest safety standards. Method: We developed a nine-question survey that was piloted prior to final implementation. The questionnaire was sent to senior registrars and consultant otolaryngologists in the UK. Results: The survey was completed by a total of 63 ENT specialists. It was found that 82.54 per cent of clinicians would consider wearing a reusable gown that would be sterilised between each procedure. Conclusion: Our survey suggests most ENT clinicians would consider using a more environmentally friendly surgical gown and some may even consider wearing no gown at all, although many are understandably concerned about the transmission of infection or blood splatter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dentists’ attire includes their choice of clothes and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required to follow infection control measures. Investigating and understanding the paediatric patient’s preferences and perceptions towards the dentist’s attire can aid in establishing a more efficient and smoother relationship between them. Aim: To determine the children’s preferences and perceptions of their paediatric dentist’s attire and PPE among four to 12-year-old children. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included four to 12-year-old Arabic-speaking children attending Department of Paediatric Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for dental treatment with their parents/guardians between February 2022 and April 2022. Data were collected from the participants using a validated Arabic electronic questionnaire to determine their preferences regarding different parts and types of the dentist’s attire and PPE, as well as their perceptions and feelings of comfort towards the dentist wearing the full standard PPE. Data were summarised as frequencies and percentages for categorical variables or means and standard deviations for continuous variables. The significance threshold was set at 0.05. Results: A total of 362 participants with a mean age of 8.4±2.3 years and their parents/guardians participated in the study. Female dentists were significantly more favoured by both male and female participants, with statistical significance among females (p

Introduction: Dentists' attire includes their choice of clothes and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required to follow infection control measures. Investigating and understanding the paediatric patient's preferences and perceptions towards the dentist's attire can aid in establishing a more efficient and smoother relationship between them. Aim: To determine the children's preferences and perceptions of their paediatric dentist's attire and PPE among four to 12-year-old children. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included four to 12-year-old Arabic-speaking children attending Department of Paediatric Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for dental treatment with their parents/guardians between February 2022 and April 2022. Data were collected from the participants using a validated Arabic electronic questionnaire to determine their preferences regarding different parts and types of the dentist's attire and PPE, as well as their perceptions and feelings of comfort towards the dentist wearing the full standard PPE. Data were summarised as frequencies and percentages for categorical variables or means and standard deviations for continuous variables. The significance threshold was set at 0.05. Results: A total of 362 participants with a mean age of 8.4±2.3 years and their parents/guardians participated in the study. Female dentists were significantly more favoured by both male and female participants, with statistical significance among females (p<0.001) and younger participants (p<0.001). Both males and females (p=0.025) and older participants (p = 0.001) significantly favoured the traditional white coats over colourful paediatric coats. Furthermore, older participants significantly preferred surgical masks over paediatric masks (p<0.001), face shields as eye protection (p<0.001), and no head cover over colourful paediatric caps (p<0.001). Male participants showed significantly better acceptability towards the dentist wearing the full standard PPE. Conclusion: Both genders and younger children preferred female dentists. The traditional white coat is the most preferred attire by both genders and older children. Male and older children showed higher acceptability for the full standard PPE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Healthcare workers (HCWs), which include surgeons, anaesthesiologists, nurses, technicians, and other non-medical staff working in the operation theatre (OT), change to surgical scrubs for providing designated services. This study was intended to investigate the association of moving in and out of OT to other hospital areas without changing scrubs and its impact on bacterial infection. Methods: After PROSPERO registration, we performed a systematic review to compare the occurrence of surgical site infections (SSIs) with or without the movement of HCWs outside OT. We searched PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library using relevant keywords. RoB-2 and ROBINS-E tools were used to assess the risk of bias in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies, respectively. Results: We identified six articles that fulfilled the inclusion criteria: three RCTs and three observational studies. A risk of bias assessment revealed an overall low bias in the RCTs and an overall high bias in the observational studies. The analysis revealed a comparable incidence of bacterial infection in terms of colony-forming units when scrubs when HCWs moved in and out of OT with the same scrubs. A meta-analysis was not performed due to heterogeneity in participants and the OT set-up, as well as fewer studies and sample size. Conclusion: The evidence is insufficient to suggest that wearing scrubs outside the OT could increase the incidence of SSI in surgical patients or transmit the organisms to patients, causing infection. The present review neither supports nor is against wearing surgical scrubs outside OT premises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Healthcare workers (HCWs), which include surgeons, anaesthesiologists, nurses, technicians, and other non-medical staff working in the operation theatre (OT), change to surgical scrubs for providing designated services. This study was intended to investigate the association of moving in and out of OT to other hospital areas without changing scrubs and its impact on bacterial infection. Methods: After PROSPERO registration, we performed a systematic review to compare the occurrence of surgical site infections (SSIs) with or without the movement of HCWs outside OT. We searched PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library using relevant keywords. RoB-2 and ROBINS-E tools were used to assess the risk of bias in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies, respectively. Results: We identified six articles that fulfilled the inclusion criteria: three RCTs and three observational studies. A risk of bias assessment revealed an overall low bias in the RCTs and an overall high bias in the observational studies. The analysis revealed a comparable incidence of bacterial infection in terms of colony-forming units when scrubs when HCWs moved in and out of OT with the same scrubs. A meta-analysis was not performed due to heterogeneity in participants and the OT set-up, as well as fewer studies and sample size. Conclusion: The evidence is insufficient to suggest that wearing scrubs outside the OT could increase the incidence of SSI in surgical patients or transmit the organisms to patients, causing infection. The present review neither supports nor is against wearing surgical scrubs outside OT premises.

Background: To reduce the risk for surgical site infections, nurses in the operating theatre environment must have knowledge of and adhere to recommended practices regarding the use of surgical attire. Aim: To evaluate the effect of an educational intervention on nurses’ knowledge related to recommended practices regarding the use of surgical attire in operating theatre. Setting: Operating theatres in two public and two private hospitals in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa. Methods: An educational pilot study, using a quasi-experimental, two-group pre- and post-test design, was conducted. A convenience sample of n = 85 nurses was purposively allocated to a control group and an intervention group. An existing educational intervention consisting of an interactive training session, brochures based on the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses’ (AORN) guidelines and a summary of these guidelines was implemented for the intervention group, while the control group received only the summary of the guidelines. Data were collected through self-administered pre- and post-test questionnaires from March 2019 to August 2019. Results: The overall knowledge score for nurses in the intervention group post-intervention improved with a large significance (p ≤ 0.000 and Cohen’s d = 1.26). Conclusion: The intervention has shown potential to improve the knowledge related to recommended practices of nurses in operating theatres regarding the use of surgical attire. Contribution: This pilot study encourages the implementation of the intervention on the use of surgical attire but requires further development and a wider implementation to measure its impact, and access to resources, enhancing and sustaining its success.

To evaluate the effect of surgical mask use on infection rates for office-based periocular surgeries during the pandemic. An Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective review of medical records identified patients who had an office-based oculofacial plastic surgery procedure during the pandemic between March and December 2020. Statistical analysis was used to compare this group to patients that underwent procedures between March and December 2019, prior to the pandemic when neither surgeon nor patient wore a surgical mask. The study consisted of 680 patients. Thirty-one different types of procedures were encountered. The incidence of infections in 2020 compared to 2019 was not statistically significant (1.12% (n = 3) versus 1.21% (n = 5), p = 1). All patients with infections were treated with oral antibiotics and improved without long-term complications. Periocular surgical site infections are uncommon, and the wearing of surgical masks by patient and surgeon during our office-based oculofacial procedures did not change the incidence of SSIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The study aimed to evaluate children's and parent's preferences of dentist's attire during Covid-19 pandemic and their relationship with dental anxiety. Methods: A total of 139 Children(71 boys, 68 girls) aged 6-12 years were shown videos of a pediatric dentist working with different attire such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and pedoscrub, and they were asked to express the way they preferred their dentist to be dressed. Children's anxiety levels with different attire of paediatric dentists were assessed in different age groups and for boys and girls separately and recorded it using the Facial image scale. A questionnaire regarding dental anxiety was created online and completed by 139 parents (76 females, 63 males) of various ages and different educational backgrounds who were asked to choose between two outfits. Results were tabulated and statistically analysed using Chi-square test. Results: Children aged 10-12 years preferred PPE by 50.6%, whereas 48.1% of children aged 6-9 years least preferred PPE (<0.05). About 46 (33%) were scored as anxious children and they had a preference for pedoscrub. Also, nonanxious children 43(31%) preferred PPE. All educated parents (100%) selected PPE over pedoscrub and the result were shown to be statistically significant. (<0.05). Conclusion: Ultimately, the majority of the anxious children chosen pedoscrub, whereas non - anxious children have chosen PPE. Furthermore, the data reveals that both educated parents and older children preferred PPE as their attire for paediatric dentists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: For decades, the white coat has been the uniform of medical professionals. Recently, medical professionals show interest to use alternatives. We aimed to evaluate the perspectives and preferences of children and their parents regarding dentists' attire and gender. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 4-to 6-yearolds and their parents referred to dental clinics of Tehran School of Dentistry in 2018. Parents completed a questionnaire on demographics and dental fear, and both parents and children were asked about their preferences regarding the gender of dentist and the color of the dentist's attire. Statistical analysis was performed by the logistic regression model. Results: Totally, 148 children (mean age of 5.42±0.71 years, 48% girls) and their parents participated in the study. Most of the participants (81.2% of the children and 68.0% of the parents) preferred colored coats compared with white coat. More than half of the parents preferred a female dentist for their children (56.5%) while most children preferred a male dentist (54.8%). Boys preferred a male dentist as well (P=0.01). The children were reluctant to go for a dental visit and preferred to be visited by a dentist of the same gender as themselves (P=0.041). Conclusion: Wearing colored coats by dentists and giving a chance to choose the gender of dentist in polyclinics may increase the children's cooperation in pediatric settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: For decades, the white coat has been the uniform of medical professionals. Recently, medical professionals show interest to use alternatives. We aimed to evaluate the perspectives and preferences of children and their parents regarding dentists’ attire and gender. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 4-to 6-year-olds and their parents referred to dental clinics of Tehran School of Dentistry in 2018. Parents completed a questionnaire on demographics and dental fear, and both parents and children were asked about their preferences regarding the gender of dentist and the color of the dentist’s attire. Statistical analysis was performed by the logistic regression model. Results: Totally, 148 children (mean age of 5.42±0.71 years, 48% girls) and their parents participated in the study. Most of the participants (81.2% of the children and 68.0% of the parents) preferred colored coats compared with white coat. More than half of the parents preferred a female dentist for their children (56.5%) while most children preferred a male dentist (54.8%). Boys preferred a male dentist as well (P=0.01). The children were reluctant to go for a dental visit and preferred to be visited by a dentist of the same gender as themselves (P=0.041). Conclusion: Wearing colored coats by dentists and giving a chance to choose the gender of dentist in polyclinics may increase the children’s cooperation in pediatric settings. Keywords:

Perioperative medicine can pose myriad challenges to professionalism and ethical practice. Medicine is a science, but definite end points, and predictable results and outcomes do not consistently occur. There is the potential for error during all steps of a patient's assessment and treatment. Examination findings, laboratory investigations, diagnosis, plans for and outcomes of surgery and long-term outcomes can all be uncertain and/or not meet expectations. Factors including pressures in the workplace, conflicts, ego, prescribed guidelines and pathways, the need to achieve healthcare targets, desire for autonomy and need to maintain multidisciplinary involvement in patient care can lead to an environment in which it is challenging for professionalism and ethics to thrive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the user experience of wearing comfort of reusable sterile surgical gowns and compare these gowns with conventional disposable surgical gowns., Design: Cross-sectional survey., Setting: An academic hospital in the Netherlands., Population: Gynaecologists, surgeons, residents and operating room assistants (n=80)., Methods: Quantitative and qualitative data were obtained via a written questionnaire. Participants provided subjective comments and scored the reusable gown on each individual topic with a score from 1 to 5 (1 = unsatisfactory, 2 = moderate, 3 = good, 4 = very good, 5 = excellent) and compared the reusable gown with the conventional disposable alternative (better, equal or worse)., Main Outcome Measures: Wearing comfort: ventilation and temperature regulation, fit and length, functionality, barrier function and ease of use., Results: The results of the overall scores of the reusable gown are scored as 'very good' (mean 4.3, SD ± 0.5) by its users. Regarding comparison of the gowns, more than 79% (lowest score 79%, highest score 95%) of the participants scored the reusable gown equal or higher on six of seven topics. The topic 'ease of use' was scored equal or higher by 59% of the participants. Subjective comments provided information on possible improvements., Conclusions: The findings of this study demonstrate that there is professional acceptance regarding the utilisation of reusable surgical gowns. To facilitate broader adoption, it is imperative to foster collaboration among suppliers and healthcare institutions. The reusable surgical gown is an environmentally sustainable, safe and comfortable alternative in the operating room., (© 2023 The Authors. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Surgical attire provides a barrier to microorganisms shed from health care workers' skin and hair to help protect patients and promote a clean environment. The AORN "Guideline for surgical attire" includes recommendations for selecting, wearing, and cleaning surgical attire that are based on the highest‐quality evidence available. Recommendations are rated as Regulatory Requirement, Recommendation, Conditional Recommendation, or No Recommendation according to the level of evidence, an assessment of the benefits versus harms of implementing specific interventions, and consideration of resources required to implement the interventions. This article discusses guideline recommendations related to laundering surgical attire, wearing long‐sleeved attire, and wearing head coverings. A scenario provides an example in which an interdisciplinary facility team uses a gap analysis and a risk assessment to prioritize process changes for implementing the guideline. Perioperative personnel should review the entire guideline for additional information and for guidance when creating and updating policies and procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To reduce the risk for surgical site infections, nurses in the operating theatre environment must have knowledge of and adhere to recommended practices regarding the use of surgical attire., Aim: To evaluate the effect of an educational intervention on nurses' knowledge related to recommended practices regarding the use of surgical attire in operating theatre., Setting: Operating theatres in two public and two private hospitals in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa., Methods: An educational pilot study, using a quasi-experimental, two-group pre- and post-test design, was conducted. A convenience sample of n = 85 nurses was purposively allocated to a control group and an intervention group. An existing educational intervention consisting of an interactive training session, brochures based on the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses' (AORN) guidelines and a summary of these guidelines was implemented for the intervention group, while the control group received only the summary of the guidelines. Data were collected through self-administered pre- and post-test questionnaires from March 2019 to August 2019., Results: The overall knowledge score for nurses in the intervention group post-intervention improved with a large significance ( p ≤ 0.000 and Cohen's d = 1.26)., Conclusion: The intervention has shown potential to improve the knowledge related to recommended practices of nurses in operating theatres regarding the use of surgical attire., Contribution: This pilot study encourages the implementation of the intervention on the use of surgical attire but requires further development and a wider implementation to measure its impact, and access to resources, enhancing and sustaining its success., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© 2024. The Authors.)

In this prospective study, we aimed to investigate whether surgical gowns become contaminated during surgery. Samples from the gowns of five surgeons during 19 surgeries were collected using sterile swabs in circular standard delimited areas on both wrists and the mid-chest at three time-points: immediately before surgical incision (t=0), 30 min (t=30), and 60 min (t=60) later. Additionally, at t=0 and t=60, three settle plates of plate count agar were positioned at 1.5 m from the ground and remained open for 20 min. The operating room temperature and relative humidity were monitored. The swabs were cultivated and incubated, and colony-forming units per gram (CFU/g) counts were measured. The CFU/g counts for bacteria or fungi did not differ among the three sampling sites. The surgeons' lateral dominance in manual dexterity did not influence the gowns' contamination. There were significant variations in the temperature and relative humidity over time, but not in the CFU/g counts. In conclusion, during the first hour of surgery, surgical gowns did not become a source of contamination and are an effective barrier against bacterial and fungal contamination even under non-standard surgical environmental conditions., (© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia.)

Young doctors walking into the operating room are eager to develop their skills to become efficient and knowledgeable professionals in future. But precious little is done to actively develop the basic practical skills of the budding doctors. They remain unaware about the layout of the operating room, the OR etiquette and often do not have sound scientific understanding and importance of meticulous execution of the basic operating room protocols. This article stresses the need to develop the basics of OR protocol and to improve the confidence of the young doctor by strengthening his foundation by showing him that attention to the basics of medical care and empathy for the patient can really make a difference to the outcome of a treatment.

Background A doctor’s competence and professionalism is often judged on the basis of attire. Our Lady of Lourdes (OLOL) is a leading Irish hospital in the implementation of Bare Below the Elbows (BBTE) policy, however surgical attire is not standardised and there is great variability in attire worn on wards. We aimed to evaluate patients attitude towards surgeons attire in OLOL. Methods A prospective survey of adult surgical in-patients was conducted from October 2013 to February 2014. A twelve-question questionnaire was used as data collection tool, using a five point Likert scale to assess patients response to each question. Data were collected on patient demographics, patients level of trust and confidence based on different surgical attire, and patients perception of different attire worn by surgical teams. Results There were 150 completed surveys during the study period with a male to female ratio of 44% to 56% respectively. The mean patient length of in-hospital stay (LOS) was 4.7 days (range 1–22). The most commonly represented age group was 30–40 years (18%), with a comparable spread among all age groups. The majority of patients found the attire worn by surgeons on the ward to be very appropriate (93%). Majority of responders believed scrubs to be the most appropriate attire for surgeons on wards (39%), followed by shirt and tie with white coat (38%) followed by short sleeved shirt and no tie (18%). Shirt and tie with white coat had a positive effect on patients trust in 63% of responders, a negative effect in 10% and no effect in 26%. Scrubs had a positive effect on patients trust in 63%, negative effect in 11% and no effect in 25%. Short sleeved shirt and no tie had a positive effect in 44%, negative effect in 25% and no effect in 30% of patients. Conclusion Patients in OLOL find attire worn by surgeons to be appropriate. Shirt and tie with white coat or scrubs remains the patient’s choice attire for surgeons. Shirt and tie with white coat or scrubs has a more positive effect on trust of patients compared to short sleeved shirt and no tie.

Proper surgical attire is essential in decreasing surgical site infections; however, the effectiveness of the different types of headwear is a controversial topic. We conducted a narrative review based on studies identified through a focused literature search to summarize and critically assess evidence and opinions on the most appropriate type of headwear for OR personnel. We included 48 articles: 17 original research studies and 31 non-peer-reviewed articles of various types. Research published before 2014 mostly supports the complete coverage of all hair, which aligns with the 2015 AORN guidelines. However, more recent literature rebuts these guidelines and emphasizes the importance of clean headwear. Although earlier studies (published before 2017) lacked scientific rigor, later studies (published after 2017) have other various limitations, including missing data on compliance, surgery-related techniques, and surgical attire other than headwear. The findings from this review highlight the importance of solid evidence-based guidelines and expert collaboration., (© AORN, Inc, 2023.)

This multi-centre study assessed operating room (OR) staff compliance with clothing regulations and traffic flow during surgical procedures. Of 1615 surgical attires audited, 56% respected the eight clothing measures. Lack of compliance was mainly due to inappropriate wearing of jewellery (26%) and head coverage (25%). In 212 procedures observed, a median of five people [interquartile range (IQR) 4-6] were present at the time of incision. The median frequency of entries to/exits from the OR was 10.6/h (IQR 6-29) (range 0-93). Reasons for entries to/exits from the OR were mainly to obtain materials required in the OR (N=364, 44.5%). ORs with low compliance with clothing regulations tended to have higher traffic flows, although the difference was not significant (P=0.12). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of repeated in-hospital reprocessing on 100% cotton fabric continues to be debated. We analyzed the properties of surgical gowns and drapes over 15 months of clinical use. The amount of linting fibers and the water absorption rate increased significantly, but microbial and blood penetration was preserved.

Objective:  The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of positive cultures of the surgical gown cuffs among scrubbed personnel prior to and immediately after orthopaedic surgical procedures performed on client-owned dogs., Study Design:  In this cross-sectional study, the left and right surgical gown cuffs of three scrubbed persons in 10 orthopaedic surgical procedures were individually sampled using a sterile wipe prior to and immediately after surgery in order to determine the frequency of and risk factors associated with positive bacterial cultures., Results:  Fifty of 120 (41.6%) cultures were positive with an even distribution before and after surgery. The three most common genera were Staphylococcus , Corynebacterium and Streptococcus . Using multivariable logistic regression models, humidity in the operating room (odds ratio: 1.04, 95% confidence interval: 1.00-1.08; p  = 0.038) and the number of individuals scrubbed into surgery (odds ratio: 0.59, 95% confidence interval: 0.39-0.91; p  = 0.016) had a significant effect on the likelihood of positive culture after surgery. Of the nine patients available for follow-up, one dog developed osteomyelitis., Conclusions:  Maintaining the humidity in the operating room to the lowest comfortable level may reduce contamination of the surgical gown cuffs. Confirmation of bacterial contamination of surgical gown cuffs warrants adherence to operative guidelines to minimize the risk of surgical gown cuffs' contact with sterile attire, equipment and the surgical field during surgical procedures., Competing Interests: None declared., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Background: A doctor's competence and professionalism is often judged on the basis of attire. Our Lady of Lourdes (OLOL) is a leading Irish hospital in the implementation of Bare Below the Elbows (BBTE) policy, however surgical attire is not standardised and there is great variability in attire worn on wards. We aimed to evaluate patients attitude towards surgeons attire in OLOL. Methods: A prospective survey of adult surgical in-patients was conducted from October 2013 to February 2014. A twelve-question questionnaire was used as data collection tool, using a five point Likert scale to assess patients response to each question. Data were collected on patient demographics, patients level of trust and confidence based on different surgical attire, and patients perception of different attire worn by surgical teams. Results: There were 150 completed surveys during the study period with a male to female ratio of 44% to 56% respectively. The mean patient length of in-hospital stay (LOS) was 4.7 days (range 1-22). The most commonly represented age group was 30-40 years (18%), with a comparable spread among all age groups. The majority of patients found the attire worn by surgeons on the ward to be very appropriate (93%). Majority of responders believed scrubs to be the most appropriate attire for surgeons on wards (39%), followed by shirt and tie with white coat (38%) followed by short sleeved shirt and no tie (18%). Shirt and tie with white coat had a positive effect on patients trust in 63% of responders, a negative effect in 10% and no effect in 26%. Scrubs had a positive effect on patients trust in 63%, negative effect in 11% and no effect in 25%. Short sleeved shirt and no tie had a positive effect in 44%, negative effect in 25% and no effect in 30% of patients. Conclusion: Patients in OLOL find attire worn by surgeons to be appropriate. Shirt and tie with white coat or scrubs remains the patient's choice attire for surgeons. Shirt and tie with white coat or scrubs has a more positive effect on trust of patients compared to short sleeved shirt and no tie. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surgical attire helps protect patients from microorganisms that may be shed from the hair and skin of perioperative personnel. The updated AORN “Guideline for surgical attire” provides guidance on scrub attire, shoes, head coverings, and masks worn in the semirestricted and restricted areas of the perioperative setting, as well as how to handle personal items (eg, jewelry, backpacks, cell phones) that may be taken into the perioperative suite. This article focuses on key points of the guideline to help perioperative personnel adhere to facility policies and regulatory requirements for attire. The key points address the potential benefits of wearing scrub attire made of antimicrobial fabric, covering the arms when in the restricted area of the surgical suite, removing or confining jewelry when wearing scrub attire, disinfecting personal items that will be taken into the perioperative suite, and sending reusable attire to a health care--accredited laundry facility after use. Perioperative RNs should review the complete guideline for additional information and for guidance when writing and updating policies and procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]