Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
Do doctors lab coats spread germs?
The American Medical Association is currently considering a new policy on doctor’s lab coats because of the possibility they transmit germs to other patients, according to an article in The New York Times.
Why do doctors wear white coats?
The AMA Council on Science and Public Health is studying whether lab coats transmit bacteria and microbes to other patients. The public is used to seeing doctors wearing white lab coats, and some doctors think this gives them an air of authority and cleanliness. These doctors may not want to change that image, if some new policy is recommended.
The Times quotes a Postgraduate Medical Journal study done in 2004 that found that 56% of patients surveyed said doctors should wear white lab coats. And 94% of medical schools have some kind of graduating ceremony involving putting on a white lab coat.
Why ban lab coats?
The question of lab coat cleanliness stems from a 2004 study that found that 48% of doctor’s neckties carried at least one species of infectious microbe. And in 2007 the British National Health System adopted a hospital dress policy that bans long fingernails, ties, lab coats, and hand and wrist jewelry, said the article.
Nearly 100,000 hospital patients in the US die from infections, but there is not a lot of evidence at this time that ties lab coats with those infections. But Peter Ragusa, author of the resolution being considered, said the potential for transmission of microbes is significant, according to the article.
History of white lab coats
White coats haven’t always been worn by doctors. According to Guenter Risse, author of "Mending Bodies, Saving Souls: A History of Hospitals," doctors started wearing white coats became popular since the 1880s when people understood how diseases were spread and white became a symbol for cleanliness.
White coats may be a thing of the past for a different reason, said the article. Some doctors feel that the white coat is a symbol of authority and has been intimidating. Some people call this anxiety "white coat syndrome" or "white coat hypertension"to explain that some patients are afraid to talk to their doctors.
Kiley Law Group, located in Andover and Boston, Massachusetts takes time when speaking with you about your case and works with you on a contingent basis so there are NO FEES unless our trained Boston personal injury attorneys wins your case. Call now for a FREE evaluation of your case – 1-888-208-1695.
