A recent study suggests that what we consider as a defining a symbol of the medical profession, might be harmful to us! According to the research, a doctor’s white coat can be a womb for dangerous bacteria. This can include pathogens linked to a number of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and drug-resistant bacteria. The findings of the study point out that sixteen per cent of white coats are contaminated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and 42 per cent with the gram-negative class of bacteria which includes E. coli and Chlamydia trachomatis. Such bacteria can spread a range of conditions, including sepsis and pneumonia.
When it comes to India, hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are too high that one infection can occur in every four hospital visits.
Not only the coats but also, the study shows that equipment such as stethoscopes and even personal devices like tablets and mobile phones can also become contaminated.
According to the study, in the case of Sepsis, 63% of patients die in the Intensive Care Unit. The white coats had been a subject of controversy even in 2015. Such long-sleeve coats were banned earlier to stop spreading the infections.
“Many of these findings that incriminate doctors’ white coats come from locations outside India, with higher standards of cleanliness and hygiene. The infrastructure in India is different, and more research is needed to understand the harm that white coats cause here, which is likely to be greater.
“In India changing areas in hospitals are rare because of space constraints, so white coats are commonly worn by students coming from college and outside the hospital. They are also often left on chairs, tables, and in corridors. Doctors and medical students tend to wear their white coats to the library, the cafeteria, the toilet, and so on. In many cities in India, some junior doctors are now seen wearing white coats in shopping malls and cinemas too, and then they enter sterile zones in the hospital in the same attire,” reads an article published in the British Medical Journal in 2015.
Handwashing is important while handling the equipment. Also, the doctors should ensure that the clothing worn on the job is washed regularly to prevent the spread of bacteria.
Though the white coat is considered as a symbol of assurance, there are underlying dangers. There should be a change in the dressing of doctors in India to improve the safety of patients.
Source: Health Issues India.