Take Off Ties Full of Bugs, Doctors Told
Posted on: Monday, 20 February 2006, 18:00 CST
By REBECCA SMITH
DOCTORS were today told not to wear ties at work for fear of passing on infections such as the deadly MRSA bug.
The British Medical Association's board of science published a guide for health workers on ways to avoid the spread of infections. Recommendations include scrupulous hand washing and careful use of antibiotics to minimise the chance bugs will build up resistance to them.
It also says clothes may spread disease when busy doctors and nurses are moving from one patient to another. Some hospitals have already stopped nurses wearing uniforms outside work, and there have been calls for all health staff to wear scrubs - special hygienic garments that are not taken from the hospital.
The guide says: " Maximum contamination occurs in areas of greatest hand contact (eg pockets and cuffs) thereby resulting in recontamination following hand washing.
Certain clothes such as ties are rarely laundered but worn daily. Ties perform no beneficial function in patient care and have been shown to be colonised by pathogens.
"They are regularly handled by the owner and come into contact with numerous objects. Ties have the potential to act as a vector for transmission of healthcare acquired infections (HCAIs)."
These bugs include methicillin- resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile (C.difficile). They contribute to the death of at least 5,000 people in Britain every year and cost the NHS up to Pounds 1 billion per year.
The guide said a 15 per cent reduction in HCAIs would save some Pounds 150 million every year. Other recommendations include: . Wear closely woven cotton clothes that minimise the spread of bugs and are laundered frequently.
. Where possible, change garments when leaving the clinical setting.
. Ensure work clothes remain separate from other clothing.
. Presume some degree of contamination, even if soiling cannot be seen.
The report says use of devices such as drips, catheters, drains and feeding lines often give bacteria a way into the patient's system. "Life saving technology can become life threatening," it adds.
Pressure to meet targets means patients are often put in a bed shortly after the last one has left, leaving little time for decontamination.
The BMA's head of ethics and science, Dr Vivienne Nathanson, said up to 30 per cent of HCAIs were preventable. But she added: "A major barrier is pressure to treat patients and meet targets."
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Source: Evening Standard; London (UK)
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