A new infection control recommendation could make white coats obsolete according to Newswise.com.
In a move to reduce health care associated infections, certain attire for health care professionals, including the traditional white coat, could become a thing of the past.
“White coats, neckties, and wrist watches can become contaminated and may potentially serve as vehicles to carry germs from one patient to another,” said Mark Rupp, M.D., chief of the division of infectious diseases at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and one of the authors of recommendations issued by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), one of the world’s top infection control organizations.
“However, it is unknown whether white coats and neck ties play any real role in transmission of infection,” said Dr. Rupp, who is a past president of SHEA. “Until better data are available, hospitals and doctor’s offices should first concentrate on well-known ways to prevent transmission of infection -- like hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, and careful attention to insertion and care of invasive devices like vascular catheters.”
Read the entire article here.