tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4968787219619380438.post5716813820625552851..comments2023-09-21T04:02:29.457-04:00Comments on Skeptical Scalpel: Does wearing jackets over scrub suits prevent infections?Skeptical Scalpelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13206922456661320751noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4968787219619380438.post-71598903257022641082016-06-03T19:26:17.411-04:002016-06-03T19:26:17.411-04:00Scalpel, yes, you cleared it up, but apparently so...Scalpel, yes, you cleared it up, but apparently some states aren't able to view your blog. artigerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13361655152970244221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4968787219619380438.post-74527917868971358162016-06-03T08:50:27.895-04:002016-06-03T08:50:27.895-04:00Artiger, I thought I cleared up the cap controvers...Artiger, I thought I cleared up the cap controversy last month http://skepticalscalpel.blogspot.com/2016/04/its-time-to-discuss-surgeon-headgear.html<br /><br />Doctor, I agree with you. Let's focus on the real issues and forget about OR cover-ups and caps.Skeptical Scalpelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13206922456661320751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4968787219619380438.post-67929489804924433922016-06-02T21:26:45.190-04:002016-06-02T21:26:45.190-04:00I to had a mentor with the burning passion to look...I to had a mentor with the burning passion to look like a dork outside the confines of the theater. He insisted on wearing this nonsensical single breasted tweed-like jacket. It had pockets to hold his nonsensicals including my most hated of instruments the dreaded Zippo lighter. As a head and neck surgeon he would use the lighter to heat up his mouth/throat mirror to all but glowing red to "prevent it from fogging up" as he described. I asked him on numerous occasions why not simply use fog-off or for that matter hand soap or even an alcohol wipe but he insisted that not only was his way better it was more "sanitary" since the flame sterilized the mirror. I don't get why we seem to look for reasons to make more trouble. Surely there is no logical reason why a warm up or for that matter any cover-up is going to prevent disease and if the whole goal is to prevent creepy cruddies from getting on our clothes from outside the OR spaces then the one way is to prevent OR clothes from leaving the OR area but if they do that I know of about 200 surgeons who will retire. We need to look carefully at how REASONABLE it is to eliminate nosocomial infections from the craziest of places when in reality the hospitals themselves are the cesspits of bacterial growth thru pure definition (hello they have sick patients in them). Before we discuss dressing differently lets look at the 100K other areas of improper hygiene in the confines of the facility. How many times do we really wash our hands before each and ever room visit or iPad interaction or laptop contact or even for that matter door knob?<br />Dr DaveAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4968787219619380438.post-88909889214617778222016-06-02T20:29:08.559-04:002016-06-02T20:29:08.559-04:00Well, now that we have some evidence to exonerate ...Well, now that we have some evidence to exonerate white lab coats, can someone do a similar study to clear up the bouffant vs surgical cap controversy noted below?artigerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13361655152970244221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4968787219619380438.post-67658024880651940042016-06-01T07:18:27.278-04:002016-06-01T07:18:27.278-04:00Old Fool, I knew a surgeon who wore a suit jacket ...Old Fool, I knew a surgeon who wore a suit jacket over scrubs too. To be honest, it looked dorky.<br /><br />Anon, I've been writing for Physician's Weekly for 5 years. It's no so new.Skeptical Scalpelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13206922456661320751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4968787219619380438.post-14521441157995046132016-05-31T21:37:53.247-04:002016-05-31T21:37:53.247-04:00"I always enjoy papers that reinforce my bias..."I always enjoy papers that reinforce my biases." ROFL LOL.<br /><br />So an article on Physicians' Weekly? I think you have found your second job. :) Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4968787219619380438.post-27318906242683779092016-05-31T20:37:03.000-04:002016-05-31T20:37:03.000-04:00I used to work with an old school thoracic surgeon...I used to work with an old school thoracic surgeon that always wore his expensive suit jacket over his scrubs while rounding. A very cool, unique style and the pockets of his suit jacket contained everything he needed to perform his favorite procedure; pleural taps. My favorite part of the procedure was when he ceremoniously produced a band aid from his vest pocket and carefully applied it. We did not have warm up jackets back in the day but anyone that felt cold could slap on cloth gown.Oldfoolrnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01747485143127099085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4968787219619380438.post-59166834429189192152016-05-31T16:51:36.131-04:002016-05-31T16:51:36.131-04:00Artiger, undoubtedly not wearing a jacket was a me...Artiger, undoubtedly not wearing a jacket was a medical error. Any complication that a patient suffered was a direct result of staff not wearing a jacket [just kidding]. The paper didn't go into detail about what activities the jacket wearers engaged in.<br /><br />George, I understand that anesthesiologists' metabolic rates can go quite low during a long case. :-) I don't know if the presence or absence of a jacket makes any difference in patient outcomes. For SSIs, it looks like it doesn't matter.<br /><br />I've got a post about white coats coming out tomorrow on Physician's Weekly. Look for it by mid-morning at http://www.physiciansweekly.com/Skeptical Scalpelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13206922456661320751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4968787219619380438.post-87516650993363548402016-05-31T16:42:11.504-04:002016-05-31T16:42:11.504-04:00Thanks for the link. As someone who sits at the he...Thanks for the link. As someone who sits at the head of the table, frequently under some awful, just AWFUL-COLD ventilation ducts, I wear a "warm-up" jacket - have for years.<br /><br />But, I wear it because it (get this!) warms me up, not because of some not-even-half-baked pseudoscience.<br /><br />But, the basic question, how does it affect the patient, is unanswered.<br /><br />Again.George Gasmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05047584545571558203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4968787219619380438.post-38476034968469645402016-05-31T15:16:02.747-04:002016-05-31T15:16:02.747-04:00During the mandatory warm-up jacket period, if som...During the mandatory warm-up jacket period, if someone omitted their jacket, did that constitute a medical error. <br /><br />Forgive the sarcasm, I'm just trying to see humor in hopelessness. I have a question though...were the warm-up jackets worn outside the hospital at any time?artigerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13361655152970244221noreply@blogger.com