The American College of Surgeons updated guidelines on appropriate surgeon attire in and out of the operating room.
According to the statement, they are as follows:
- Soiled scrubs and/or hats should be changed as soon as feasible and certainly prior to speaking with family members after a surgical procedure.
- Scrubs and hats worn during dirty or contaminated cases should be changed prior to subsequent cases even if not visibly soiled.
- Masks should not be worn dangling at any time.
- Operating room (OR) scrubs should not be worn in the hospital facility outside of the OR area without a clean lab coat or appropriate cover up over them.
- OR scrubs should not be worn at any time outside of the hospital perimeter.
- OR scrubs should be changed at least daily.
- During invasive procedures, the mouth, nose, and hair (skull and face) should be covered to avoid potential wound contamination. Large sideburns and ponytails should be covered or contained.
- Earrings and jewelry worn on the head or neck where they might fall into or contaminate the sterile field should all be removed or appropriately covered during procedures
- The ACS encourages clean appropriate professional attire (not scrubs) to be worn during all patient encounters outside of the OR.
- The skullcap can be worn when close to the totality of hair is covered by it and only a limited amount of hair on the nape of the neck or a modest sideburn remains uncovered. Religious beliefs regarding headwear should be respected without compromising patient safety.
- The ACS strongly suggests that scrubs should not be worn outside the perimeter of the hospital by any healthcare provider.
