Completed

NCT Number: NCT01192841

Bacterial Contamination of Workwear

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.

Completed

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Key information

Conditions

Bacterial Contamination of Physician Attire

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Denver Health

Denver, Colorado, 80204, United States

About this study

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.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

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

Treatment and study plan

Physician uniform

Other

Participants were given a clean uniform (scrubs) on the day of the study. They wore this for approximately 8 hours.

Primary outcomes

Bacterial colony counts and the frequency with which methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was found over time

Time frame: 8 hours

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Denver Health and Hospital Authority

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Physician Dress Code And Microbial Colonization Of The White Coat: Does Physician Dress Code Alter Bacterial Colonization Rate On The Clothing Of Physicians?

Important dates

Study start: 2008
Primary completion: 2009
Study completion: 2009
First posted: Sep 1, 2010
Registry last updated: Sep 1, 2010

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.