How nurses’ uniforms are ‘hotbed for superbugs’

KILLER hospital superbugs such as MRSA are being spread around wards by nurses’ uniforms, a study has found.

The sleeves and pockets of surgical scrubs are hotbeds of germs that, if transmitted to patients, can kill the elderly and frail.

Scientists found that the superbugs, which are resistant to antibiotics, are not just carried by people but lurk in staff uniforms, bedrails and even in wards that are cleaned every day.

Almost 2,200 swabs were taken from the sleeves, pockets and midriffs of the scrubs of 40 intensive care unit nurses, both at the start and end of their shift, by researchers at Duke University in North Carolina. They were also taken from patients and the contents of their room, including beds, bedrails and supply carts.

They were tested for the presence of five bacteria and analysis showed six instances where at least one pathogen was transmitted to nurses’ scrubs by the patient, and another six where they picked up germs from the room. Researchers also found a room had been contaminated by a patient on ten occasions.

The researchers did not identify any bugs that had spread from nurses to patients, but note that this is likely to happen in hospital.

Lead author Dr Deverick Anderson added: ‘We think it’s more common than not that these bugs spread to patients in hospitals because of temporary contamination of health care workers.’