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2018-07-20

White coat, a symbol of the hospital environment

The question which we ride often in the lead when we are called to attend a medical community : why are they all white coats ? As the army has its uniform, the judges have their robes, the doctors have their blouse.

Who should wear a white blouse ?

In the hospitals, clinics and medical institutions, we still see the medical body wrapped in a gown. This garment is mandatory for everyone : doctors, surgeon, nurse or even the trainees. It comes in different colours according to the medical department : blue, pink, grey, green or white.

A coat helps limit infections

The wearing of gowns is compulsory. If the color white is the most recommended, it is because this color is the most healthy. According to a study conducted at the Shaare Zedek in Jerusalem, the white coat helps reduce the transmission of infection during the exchanges between the patient, the doctor and the visitors.

In this study, the tissue samples were removed on the pockets, sleeves and other parts of the blouse. To this end, a blouse was exposed to bacterial germs. In addition, 40 % of the gowns to be contaminated contained pathogenic micro-organisms, against 10 % who had different bacteria.

A coat slows down the contamination

The study cited above reveals that the gowns of the nurse corps were more infected than those of physicians. To minimize infections, it is necessary to change on a daily basis her blouse. In fact, 29 % of the gowns worn during two successive days are more exposed to contamination. Only 8% of those changed every day are contaminated.

To promote hygiene, the white coat is mandatory in hospitals and it must be changed every day. Some researchers also claim that the models with short sleeves are more practical and reduce the transmission of bacteria. In this case, it is recommended to wash their hands as frequent as possible.

A gown to be comfortable in her movements

As the blouse is essential, it is necessary to choose a comfortable. To do this, it is necessary to choose a model that matches our morphology and size. Gowns must be short enough to minimize discomfort during the intervention. Pants medical can complete this uniform medical. It must also be flexible to facilitate the movements.

In principle, a blouse V-neck is more practical and more appreciated. Indeed, beyond this technical aspect, the aesthetic of the garment is not to be overlooked. As the gowns and uniforms of the personnel are the first things that patients notice, a pleasant visual should not be ruled out. In fact, they reflect the image of the hospital.