Suitable control choices: exploring the roles of clean air suits and scrub suits in infection control

• Autor(a) principal: Abreu, Maria José
• Data de Publicação: 2014
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/1822/36986
• topic: Clean air suits; Scrub suits; Non active medical devices; EU Standards; Ciências Médicas::Outras Ciências Médicas; Engenharia e Tecnologia::Engenharia dos Materiais

Experts in infection control are often asked about issues related to the use of scrubs and clean air suits in the operating room (OR). So far there is no clear explanation or mandatory obligation why the surgical team has to wear clean air suits or scrub suits in ORs and, more importantly, what the main differences are between these two types of clothing. There is a general perception that the two are equal or very similar. So, what are clean air suits and scrub suits? Where did the concept and employ originate? Are they necessary from an infection control point of view? Are they useful in preventing or controlling transmission of infection? Clean air suits are considered Class I medical devices according to the definition and classification rules of the consolidated EU directive 93/42/EC as amended by 2007/47/ EC, while scrub suits don’t have any regulation for their use in a hospital.