Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol<\/em>. 2026;doi:10.1017\/ice.2025.10378.<\/figcaption>
\u201cThe goal of this quality improvement investigation was to provide guidance about attire types and practices associated with contamination and transmission risk,\u201d Maria F. Sanes Guevara, MD,<\/b> an internal medicine resident at UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh, and colleagues wrote in the study.<\/p>\n
Out of all the fabrics tracked in the study, fleece harbored the most bacteria. Over 41% of sleeves made of fleece grew at least one potential pathogen compared with 32.8% of non-fleece synthetic sleeves and 24.1% of cotton sleeves (P<\/i> = .004). <\/p>\n
The study also found 69.6% of long sleeves sampled on non-intensive care units contained bacterial growth, whereas only 30.4% in the ICU did (P<\/i> = .038). <\/p>\n
Cindy Prins, PhD, MPH,<\/b> an epidemiologist at the University of Central Florida, said reducing contamination may be as simple as rolling up sleeves. <\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s just make it so that [health care workers] give themselves a little bit more room to do good hand hygiene and go a little bit above the wrists with their hygiene. I\u2019d be curious to see if that helps,\u201d Prins, who was not involved in the research, told Healio. <\/p>\n
The study did not find evidence of transmission from health care workers\u2019 sleeves to a patient, or a \u201csignificant relationship\u201d between laundry practices and the extent of sleeve contamination, with the researchers noting that \u201ceven freshly laundered garments become substantially contaminated within just a few hours of wear.\u201d <\/p>\n
The researchers noted the United Kingdom\u2019s \u201cbare below the elbows\u201d policy, which encourages health care workers not to wear long sleeves. <\/sup> The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America has endorsed that policy for more than a decade, but it is not mandatory in the United States, where attire policies are driven by hospital preferences.<\/p>\n\u201cI think, within the U.S., it\u2019s just going to be dependent on where you are,\u201d Prins said. <\/p>\n
A study presented at IDWeek in 2017 that simulated patient care interactions showed that the cuffs of physicians\u2019 long-sleeved white coats could contribute to the transmission of pathogens, leading researchers to recommend short sleeves.<\/p>\n
Similar concerns have been addressed by other research projects. Beyond clothing, stethoscopes have been shown to be contaminated with S<\/i>.<\/i> aureus<\/i>.<\/p>\nFor more information:<\/h2>\n
Cindy Prins, PhD, MPH,<\/b> can be reached at cindy.prins@ucf.edu. <\/p>\n\n
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