Alwabel Reema, Alasmari Bushra, Alabdulkarim Aljawhara, Chachar Yusra, Jahdali Hamdan A, Layqah Laila, Baharoon Salim
College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Avicenna J Med. 2023 Aug 4;13(3):169-175. doi: 10.1055/s-0043-1770935. eCollection 2023 Jul.
Patient safety is of utmost importance and every effort is to be made to reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infection. Contaminated attire is proposed as a mode of hospital infections spread. This study aims to assess the laundering habits, the perception of healthcare workers toward the contamination of their attire, and the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on their cleaning practices in non-operative settings. This is a cross-sectional study conducted using a self-administered questionnaire which was distributed among physicians at King Abdul-Aziz Medical city, Riyadh. The questionnaire queried the physicians about their laundering habits, knowledge toward their attire, and the difference in cleaning practices after the emergence of COVID-19. Out of 220 questionnaires distributed, 192 physicians responded. Majority of physicians were male (54%) and were in the 20 to 30 age group. Female gender was significantly associated with the frequency of uniform washing ( value < 0.0001) and place of cleaning (home vs. outside home) ( value <0.0001). Physicians in intensive care were more likely to take off their uniforms daily before leaving the hospital compared to others ( value of 0.018). Most physicians did not prefer to use the hospital laundry system for cleaning their uniforms but consultants were the most to use it. COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in washing habits in 108 physicians (60%). Majority of physicians accepted washing their uniforms multiple times per week and their washing habits increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Female gender and younger physician both were associated with increasing washing habits.
患者安全至关重要，应尽一切努力降低医院获得性感染的风险。被污染的工作服被认为是医院感染传播的一种方式。本研究旨在评估非手术环境下医护人员的洗衣习惯、对其工作服污染的认知以及2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行对其清洁行为的影响。 这是一项横断面研究，使用自行填写的问卷在利雅得阿卜杜勒-阿齐兹国王医疗城的医生中进行分发。问卷询问了医生的洗衣习惯、对其工作服的了解以及COVID-19出现后清洁行为的差异。 在分发的220份问卷中，192名医生做出了回应。大多数医生为男性（54%），年龄在20至30岁之间。女性性别与制服洗涤频率（ 值<0.0001）和清洁地点（家中与家外）（ 值<0.0001）显著相关。与其他医生相比，重症监护室的医生更有可能在每天离开医院前脱下制服（ 值为0.018）。大多数医生不倾向于使用医院洗衣系统清洗制服，但顾问医生使用该系统的比例最高。COVID-19大流行导致108名医生（60%）的洗涤习惯发生了变化。 大多数医生接受每周多次清洗制服，并且在COVID-19大流行期间他们的洗涤习惯有所增加。女性性别和年轻医生都与洗涤习惯的增加有关。
