Palmo Anest

To wear (white coat) or not to wear?

This white coat thingy has been dragging too long...

I blogged about this earlier here and here... Recently MMR also blogged about this issue again.

Noted this piece of news tonight: "BMA to doctors: abandon bug-spreading ties".

LONDON (Reuters) - Doctors should stop wearing ties and traditional white coats to work because they might be responsible for spreading deadly hospital superbugs, according to a report on Monday.

The British Medical Association (BMA), which represents three-quarters of the country's doctors, said ties performed no beneficial function in treating patients and, as they were rarely washed, were a potential bug haven.

In Britain alone, up to 5,000 people every year are killed by hospital infections such as MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus), costing the state-funded National Health Service as much as 1 billion pounds a year, the BMA said.

Washing hands properly was the most important action medical staff could take to help stop the spread of the so-called superbugs.

However other steps, such as doctors abandoning ties and other "functionless" clothing, could also help minimise the risk, said Peter Maguire, deputy chairman of the BMA's board of science.

"Hand-washing, wearing clothes that minimise the spread of infection such as clean, closely woven cotton, and stopping wearing ... functionless clothing such as ties will make a huge difference," Maguire added.

When will our Mr DG wake up and stop pressuring all of us to wear a white coat like him? Free use from this bug carrier job!

BTW, I do have a new whitecoat now and it is always hanging in the call room (just in case). I'm still wearing scrub shirt with name tag (top it up with a smile) whenever I go out of OT or ICU to see patients in the wards.

posted by LT @ 1:38 AM