Contamination of protective clothing and nurses' uniforms in an isolation ward

Area of Science:

• Infection control in healthcare settings
• Microbiology of healthcare environments
• Protective clothing in hospitals

Background:

• Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) remain a significant concern.
• The role of healthcare worker attire in pathogen transmission is crucial.
• Understanding contamination levels on protective clothing is vital for infection prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the bacterial contamination of different types of healthcare worker protective clothing.
• To assess the impact of wear duration on clothing contamination.
• To compare the protective efficacy of cotton gowns versus plastic aprons.

Main Methods:

• Sampling of cotton gowns, plastic aprons, and nurses' uniforms for bacterial isolation.
• Quantification of Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative bacilli.
• Evaluation of contamination over an 11-day period and comparison of different garment types.

Main Results:

• Staphylococcus aureus was frequently isolated from all garment types, with nurses' uniforms showing the highest contamination (15%).
• Gram-negative bacilli were infrequently isolated.
• Contamination levels did not increase with prolonged use (up to 11 days); plastic aprons reduced contamination on uniform fronts compared to gowns, though gowns offered better shoulder protection.

Conclusions:

• Standard protective clothing in healthcare settings can harbor Staphylococcus aureus.
• Plastic aprons may offer an advantage in reducing bacterial load on uniform fronts.
• No significant difference in Staphylococcus aureus or Gram-negative bacilli isolation was observed between garment types at specific body sites, despite differences in overall contamination.