Scrubs

Scrubs are a type of sanitary clothing worn by surgeons, nurses, physicians, and other workers involved in patient care in hospitals. Originally designed for use by surgeons and other operating room personnel, who would put them on when sterilizing themselves, or "scrubbing in", before surgery, they are now worn by many hospital personnel.

History

The wearing of scrubs has been extended outside of surgery in many hospitals. Scrubs are designed to be simple (with minimal places for contaminants to hide), easy to launder, and cheap to replace if damaged or stained irreparably. In the United Kingdom, scrubs are sometimes known as Theatre Blues.

Design

The design of scrubs has not changed much over the past few decades. They are typically composed of a short-sleeve, v-neck shirt and drawstring pants or a girdle. Some scrubs also include a waist-length long-sleeved jacket with no lapels and stockinette cuffs, known as a "warm-up jacket". Scrubs may also include a disposable "bouffant" hat, shoe covers, and a surgical mask.

Use

In many hospitals in the United States, when not in an operating room environment, scrubs are sometimes replaced by the business casual attire. Scrubs are also sometimes used as sleepwear, and for other purposes.

See also

• Medical gloves
• Operating room
• Surgical mask
• Hospital gown

References

<references />

This article is a medical stub. You can help WikiMD by expanding it!
Most recent articles Ongoing trials	Wikipedia