Staphylococcus aureus and Oxacillin Resistance in Healthcare Professionals' Lab Coats

The aim is to microbiologically analyze the presence of Staphylococcus aureus and its resistance to oxacillin on the healthcare professionals' lab coats and to evaluate the behavior of the staff about the presence of microorganisms and possible mechanisms of pathogen transmission.

This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study of 89 healthcare professionals working in the inpatient units of a philanthropic hospital in the interior of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Data were collected through a structured interview, and then samples were taken to detect S. aureus and its oxacillin-resistance profile on the lab coats. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the chi-square test, and Mann-Whitney U-test.

Most professionals clean their coats themselves, and the frequency of  cleaning has increased during the pandemic. As for the presence of S. aureus and its resistance to oxacillin, it was observed that it was higher in the coats of employees working in the medical-surgical clinic (p = .046), where the samples had growth of microorganisms (152; 85.39%), with 46 (25.84%) of these samples showing resistance to oxacillin.

This study reinforces the importance of lab coats as a means of harboring pathogens within health services, and it is essential to adopt strategies to minimize this impact.   Cite this article as: Júnior, V. A. d. S., Alvim, A. L. S., Junior, A. G. d. S., Angeloni, N. L. N., Carneiro, L. M., Borges, E. d. S. A. V., Diniz, M. O., Lopes, A. P. A. T., Giroti, A. L. B., Marín, B. B. F., & Ferreira, A. M. (2025). Staphylococcus aureus and oxacillin resistance in healthcare professionals' lab coats. Florence Nightingale Journal of Nursing, 18.