2023-09-16 19:50:55
According to the WHO, it is estimated that one in 20 patients acquires an infection during their stay in a hospital.
People in intensive care and newborns are most at risk.
In addition to patients, health professionals are also exposed to germ infections during their work day.
There are many risks to which health professionals are exposed simply by carrying out their work. In addition to fatigue due to long work hours, they may also suffer germ infections within hospitals and clinics. It is a quite serious problem because it can even have fatal consequences.
Given this situation, the Doctor Carolina Hernandez, who is also an epidemiologist, decided to start a medical clothing business focused on innovation and social sustainability. The result is Colorchaina global startup that offers protection to all healthcare professionals.
What are the essential measures that health professionals should adopt in their daily routines to prevent the spread of multi-resistant germs in hospital environments?
Hernández: I believe that, rather than adding more steps to their routines, changes should be made to the elements they use in their daily lives.
For example, health personnel must begin to prioritize the use of scrubs or medical clothing and do so with garments that have high quality standards that ensure their protection and comfort. Nothing is achieved if they wear scrubs that leave them just as unprotected as formal clothing.
By quality scrubs I mean features like anti-fluid repellency in tops and pants and antimicrobial capabilities. Thus, the biological fluids they deal with daily do not pose a health risk when they come into contact with their uniform or face.
These garments do not absorb liquids and repel them from the surface, which removes any bacteria from the uniform quickly and effectively. These are essential elements that institutions should already require from their equipment providers and from the professionals who buy their uniforms in particular.
And it seems very simple, but a medical uniform with anti-fluid repellent makes all the difference in terms of protection against fluid-transmissible pathogens.
From your experience, how does the use of scrubs or medical uniforms influence the prevention of infections and what specific considerations should doctors take into account when choosing their work attire?
Hernández: Medical clothing is truly a vital tool for professionals. The uniforms should give them comfort in long working hours and protect them when caring for patients.
Generally, professionals tend to consider medical uniforms and gowns as a requirement rather than an element of personal protection that safeguards them. This mentality must be changed, because perceiving uniforms as PPE is crucial to creating a culture of care where staff look after their health and at the same time take care of their environment and those around them.
Textile suppliers must also begin to be required to be certified with high quality standards. This is a guarantee that gives peace of mind to the customer and reiterates that the brand is committed to truly taking care of them.
There are several organizations that provide these certifications evaluating the effectiveness of materials in certain areas. This is something that any textile company can do and it is a win for the brands. medical uniforms.
Many companies can manufacture uniforms with fabric that has protective factors, but if they are not certified to prove it, how do we know if what they sell is really effective in health environments?
Can you highlight concrete examples of common challenges that doctors face when trying to prevent the transmission of multi-resistant germs and how they can effectively overcome them?
Hernández: The simple fact of caring for a patient already implies a risk because they are people who arrive with ailments and illnesses. That is where professionals must be protected from the first moment of contact with an appropriate medical uniform, a medical gown and face masks if required, among other elements.
Likewise, staff must protect themselves and take care of themselves so as not to expose patients to the biological risks to which they are constantly exposed.
Formal clothing must be left behind with the addition of a medical gown, which is seen a lot in outpatient clinics, because these garments do not measure up to a health environment that is exposed to microorganisms, bacteria and germs.
In your opinion, what is the role of continuing education and awareness in reducing infections with multi-resistant germs, and how can a culture of prevention be fostered in medical settings?
Hernández: During the pandemic, it was extremely understood why we should consider medical clothing as an element of personal protection and how to use it correctly inside and outside health environments. Unfortunately, as the virus began to mitigate, this culture of care also evaporated.
There is now a fairly high threshold of understanding of danger: Professionals tolerate too many risks before recognizing them and taking action.
The reality is that we should not wait for the next pandemic to arrive to resume the health practices that were established in 2020. For example, we should resume things like not leaving health environments wearing the uniform all day so as not to spread bacteria and viruses, separating uniforms from personal clothing when they are washed and requiring uniforms with specialized fabrics to remove bacteria.
All of this was done during the pandemic at a time of emergency but has since been forgotten. In fact, it is these same safety measures that help mitigate the spread of a virus.
Government entities and private institutions have also left behind many demands and have become lax in managing these risks. When in a healthcare environment, protection from biological risks cannot be taken for granted.
And, although professionals in the sector are aware of disinfection and risk protection measures, institutions must once again set strict parameters, make them visible in all areas of the establishments and be demanding of their staff regarding compliance with these protocols.
Given your multidisciplinary approach, how have you managed to combine your experience in epidemiology with the medical fashion industry to innovate in the prevention of infections and improve the safety of health professionals in their work environment?
Hernández: Colorchain started just before the pandemic and preparing for a pandemic. Broadly speaking, my experience in epidemiology and as a physician trained me to understand the neglected needs of health professionals. Above all, we focus on the neglected needs in terms of staff clothing and what the sector has been lacking to equip them in the event of an outbreak.
Our idea has always been to provide professionals with outfits that give them a high protection factor and that make them feel identified with their institution and with themselves—something that is often neglected in the health industry.
All these solutions are the product of the experiences that I lived myself, the studies that we carried out on professionals in Colombia and the difficulties that they expressed to us in finding good quality uniforms and stylized. That’s why we emphasize developing garments that take fashion into account, that adapt to the body, that have fabrics that do not trap heat and materials that do not wear out and discolor easily.
Also read:
World Handwashing Day: 6 times you should wash yourself inside the office
Good hygiene practices prevent up to 70% of hospital infections
In-hospital infections: 1 in 20 patients acquires a
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