Bacterial Contamination of Healthcare Worker Uniforms

Denver Health and Hospital Authority

Status: Completed

Conditions: Bacterial Contamination of Healthcare Worker Uniforms

Treatments: Other: Antimicrobial Scrubs

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01537835

2-5-15504

Details and patient eligibility

About

Healthcare worker uniforms are frequently contaminated with bacteria known to cause infections in humans. These bacteria are acquired during the workday. A new technology of antimicrobial textiles have been developed and incorporated into the fabric of health care worker uniforms, reportedly with effectiveness rates of > 99% but there is little literature describing the effectiveness of Healthcare worker (HCW) uniforms with antimicrobial properties in the clinical setting. Because of the potential benefit that such uniforms could offer HCWs and patients alike, further investigation into whether these fabrics are effective is warranted.

Up to 140 physicians, nurses, and midlevel providers who work at Denver Health on the general internal medicine wards will be invited to participate in this study. Participants will be randomized to wear either uniforms (scrubs) that have antimicrobial properties or standard scrubs provided by the hospital. At the end of an 8-hour workday, three areas on each uniform and each subject's wrist area will be cultured to assess for total bacterial colonization as well as for various resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), and resistant gram-negative rods.

Primary Hypothesis: HCW uniforms with antimicrobial properties will have less bacterial contamination than standard uniforms (scrubs) at the end of an 8-hour workday.

Specific aim 1a. Demonstrate that antimicrobial uniforms will have less total bacterial contamination of sites swabbed compared to standard uniform after an 8-hour workday.

Specific aim 1b. Demonstrate that antimicrobial uniforms will have less antimicrobial-resistant bacterial contamination (specifically looking for MRSA, VRE, and resistant gram negatives) of sites swabbed compared to standard uniform after an 8-hour workday.

Enrollment: 109 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 90 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Physicians, nurses, and midlevel providers who work at Denver Health on the general internal medicine wards;
• Provider must be available for cultures at the end of the day, provider must be on service at Denver
• Health for the duration of the study, provider must be willing to avoid wearing white coats

Exclusion criteria

• Refusal to participate
• Known to be pregnant

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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109 participants in 3 patient groups

Standard Scrubs

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants will be randomized to one of three types of uniforms. This arm is the standard scrub arm. The participants will wear new standard scrubs.

Antimicrobial Scrubs 1

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will be randomized to one of three types of uniforms. In this arm, the participants will wear one of two types of antimicrobial uniforms. These are commercially available and registered with the Environmental Protective Agency.

Treatment:

Other: Antimicrobial Scrubs

Antimicrobial Scrubs 2

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will be randomized to one of three types of uniforms. In this arm, the participants will wear one of two types of antimicrobial uniforms. These are commercially available and registered with the Environmental Protective Agency.

Treatment:

Other: Antimicrobial Scrubs