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Evidence that physicians' white coats and other long-sleeved garments can be contaminated with bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has led British health authorities to ban such attire for clinicians. To examine the appropriateness of this action, researchers conducted a prospective trial in which they assessed bacterial contamination of physicians' clothing.
The study involved 100 internal medicine physicians at a Denver hospital in 2008 and 2009. These physicians were randomized to wear either their own white coats or newly laundered short-sleeved uniforms. Eight hours after the start of the workday, cultures were collected from multiple sites, including breast pockets, sleeve cuffs, and skin on the wrist …