Can clothes make a surgeon better?
Specialty Fabrics Review | December 2011
The operating theater in a major hospital is an environment where a physician’s ability to focus and concentrate can be the difference between life and death. The Hohenstein Institute, Bönnigheim, Germany, wanted to assess the effect of protective clothing systems on surgeons’ performance and mental abilities by testing disposable and reusable clothing in a realistic simulation of surgical work. Volunteers wearing different clothing took a computer-based occupational psychology test that enabled researchers to measure the ability of the subject to concentrate.
The primary function of surgical clothing and drapes is hygienic, providing an effective barrier against blood, body fluids and bacteria for both the patient and doctor. Disposable clothing is destroyed after a single use, offering safety but increasing waste disposal and replacement costs. Reusable clothing, sterilized after each use, costs more on initial investment and for cleaning. Comfort is essential for surgical staff working many hours doing delicate work in high-stress situations. Hohenstein found that volunteers wearing reusable clothing had quicker reaction times to visual and auditory stimuli and had a lower error rate in task performance. The testing can help textile manufacturers provide scientific criteria for purchasers of hospital clothing systems.
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Data on the mental and physical impacts of clothing types may be helpful not only for health-care purchasers, but also for the armed forces, the aviation industry and professional athletes.
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Comments are the opinion of individual posters and do not reflect the views of Specialty Fabrics Review or Industrial Fabrics Association International.
1:57 am CST
This is an excellent study and feedback.It also confirms our own experience in selling quality work wear fabrics to the health care segment within Europe.
...Mukesh
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