Antimicrobial scrubs: What’s the story?

Nurses, clinicians, doctors and other healthcare workers know all about germ transmission, and the steps to avoid it. They can’t help but be aware — they are surrounded by reminders to wash their hands with antimicrobial soaps and sanitizers dozens of times throughout the day as they come into contact with patients.

So, wouldn’t it be great if the scrubs and lab coats they wear pitched in and helped cut down on the spread of germs? It sure would, and that’s why when antimicrobial scrubs came on the scene a few years ago everyone got pretty excited.

The idea is fairly simple: Embed the cloth with various chemicals and/or substances (everything from proprietary chemical agents to silver and copper is used, and most every brand has its proprietary formula), and that agent will act as a barrier for germ transmission.

But — do they work? And are they worth it? If your area of the hospital is more prone to a MRSA outbreak, for example, would antimicrobial scrubs be a sound investment? Let’s look at what these scrubs are, what they’re supposed to do, and come to a conclusion or two:

There appears to be evidence that scrubs can carry bacteria, and some antimicrobial models were released in 2012 (and others may have been available before) to answer the problem. In 2014, The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses released a report saying that antimicrobial scrubs might “prevent bacteria and fungi from adhering to the fabric” and thus help protection patients.

The science about how these scrubs work is as varied as the companies producing them. There are different antimicrobial agents being embedded into the scrub material fiber by each manufacturer in order to differentiate their product, with some going after bacterial organisms and others targeting bacterial protein. Some are also fluid repellant, which is touted to add another layer of protection by keeping bacteria-laden material from soaking into scrubs in the first place, with the antibacterial agent acting as a second defense.

The jury is still out on whether or not they work effectively. Manufacturers can (and do) tout studies that show how these scrubs can prevent, or limit the spread, of MRSA, but the Antimicrobial Scrub and Transmission (ASCOT) study, a Duke University clinical trial that, among other things, evaluated whether antimicrobial-impregnated scrubs could help reduce bacterial contamination vs. regular cotton-poly scrubs, didn’t show a significant decrease in clothing contamination.

There are also other points to consider, such as price, because antimicrobials can be more expensive. Also, what’s your level of exposure? Anyone working in a hospital or clinical environment is going to come up against bacteria — that’s part of the job. But if you’re not around patients that much, or in a low-exposure area (primary care practice vs. ICU or ED), then you may not want to add in the extra layer of protection. In the end it’s up to you, but erring on the side of caution, especially when it comes to keeping patients, and yourself, safe from bacteria and infection, is never a bad idea.

Check out available Antimicrobial Scrubs here on our website! Happy Shopping!