Publication:

Problems and impact of use of private owned theatre wears as seen by theatre users

Background The surgical theatre wear or attire include but are not limited to surgical caps, surgical scrubs, theatre aprons, and theatre foot wears. The basic principles in the care and maintenance of theatre wears are aimed at ensuring safety and infection prevention and control. Aim was to explore the problems associated with private owned theatre wears (scrubs, boots and aprons); and examined the impact of semi-closed mode of procurement and maintenance of theatre wears on theatre users in the tertiary healthcare setting.

Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study was done among theatre users in a tertiary healthcare center using self-administered semi-structured questionnaires. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0.

Results One hundred and twenty-nine (60.6%) respondents affirmed that the mode of care of theatre scrub was not standard. 133 (62.4%) of the respondents asserted that there were problems associated with the semi-close mode of care. Nearly half (42.3%) of the respondents stressed that bad smell and contamination were their worries, and most respondents call for a change in the model of procurement and care of theatre wears.

Conclusions There were problems associated with the semi-closed system as revealed in this study, which bothers on safety of the theatre staff. Most respondents were negatively impacted, rated the current practice below standard, and call for a change in policy.