warm-up jackets also evokes deep skepticism. "The theory is that it
will capture desquamation, which makes sense," says Ken Warnock,
CST/SFA, CRCST, supervisor of central sterile processing at
Beaumont Hospital-Dearborn (Mich.). "But epidemiologically, I
haven't seen any studies linking desquamation to infection."
"I disagree with the need to wear long sleeves," adds a nurse manag-
er from Maine. "Based on studies and anecdotal reports, it seems that
we are at greater risk of direct contamination of sleeves by wearing
jackets while we position patients and turn over rooms. Then we prep
patients while wearing the same jacket. Shedding of squamous cells
seems like far less of a risk."
Home laundering
AORN's recent decision to strengthen the force of its recommendation
against home laundering of scrubs has infuriated some in the field
who insist that the rationale is flawed. "There is no evidence that this
is necessary," says Keri Ortega, DNAP, CRNA, associate director of
doctoral education at Wolford College in Naples, Fla. "'Evidence' that
does exist does not meet the rigorous standards of evidence-based
practice. Studies were biased and therefore cannot be used as evi-
dence."
Dr. Ortega says the pronouncement may have the opposite of the
desired effect: "Many times we take hospital-provided scrubs and they
smell sour. How is this better than scrubs I know that I washed? Also,
locker rooms are not clean where the scrubs are stored and we
change into the provided scrubs."
AORN says the benefit of healthcare-accredited laundering is that it
may protect the patient from exposure to pathogens remaining on the
attire after home laundering and may prevent transmission of
pathogens from the attire worn in the healthcare facility into the
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