Doctors’ and Nurses’ Uniform Can Harbor Tons of Bacteria, study says
The distinct white uniform of doctors and nurses, which is perceived as clean, may on the contrary be contaminated. A recent study that involved the participation of 75 nurses and 60 doctors in a 550 bed capacity hospital in Jerusalem showed that germs or infectious agents were found on 63 percent of their uniforms. Fourteen percent of nurses’ uniforms are found to be contaminated with MRSA or methicillin resistant staphyloccocus aureus, an antibiotic-resistant bacteria that causes several infections such as boils, pneumonia and other blood infections.
Health professionals are reminded of the golden rule in preventing the transmission of diseases. Aside from frequent handwashing before and after handling a patient, they should also make sure that they change and launder their uniforms properly.