History of Medical Scrubs
The medical scrubs were introduced in the twentieth century as a means to step up cleanliness in healthcare services. It can be claimed that it was only when people in the medical profession started seeing the importance of cleanliness for medical care and surgery that the medical scrubs were introduced. That keeps us question the ways in which the medical professionals used to maintain cleanliness before the emergence of these scrubs. We will explore the details right here!
The Origin of the Medical Scrubs
Today, any medical uniform consisting of short-sleeved shirts and drawstring pants is called a scrub. The uniform acquired its name quite simply because of the fact it was initially worn by medical personnel in the scrubbed environment.
Before the medical scrubs came into the picture, the surgeons performed surgeries in their street clothes with an apron or cover on them in order to keep their clothes clean. It was during the year 1918 when the flu pandemic struck and the doctors started wearing masks – more for their own protection rather than their patient’s protection from infection.
The medical scrubs, however, first came to be used in the 1940s as medical professionals became more aware of the risks of wound infection. This was also the time that the need for having separate sanitary operating rooms was felt more intensely than before! In fact, by this time, the antiseptic technique was regularly deployed in operation suites to prevent the spread of pathogens and infections.
The Evolution of Medical Scrubs
These scrubs when they appeared – were available in the form of gowns or drapes that covered the medical surgeon, while they were performing surgeries.
In the 1950s and 1960s, they were used regularly in the operating rooms. It was during this time that they were crafted from white fabric, which displayed cleanliness. However, with the passage of time white gave way to the blues, greens, and pinks. Why? You may ask! It’s because of the white color against the bright light started straining the medical staff’s eyes. Some of the immediate benefits of the other shades were:
- They minimized eye fatigue
- Made blood stains less obvious
- Paved the way for a high-contrast working environment
By the 1970s, the green surgical scrubs almost became a standard. They are the basis of the modern non-surgical scrubs that are donned by healthcare staff in the hospitals. Today, the majority of medical staff is required to wear medical scrubs whenever they are rendering services in a clean environment. The hospitals generally end up leasing or owning the surgical scrubs because of sterility issues. Both women and men’s medical scrubs are crafted from durable fabric that absorbs bodily fluids and blood with equal ease. The original green scrubs did not leave any room to distinguish among different patient care departments, patient care personnel, and support staff.
Final words
Today, both men and women medical scrubs short-sleeve shirts come with V-necks and drawstring pants. These scrubs also include gowns and jackets. Physicians often wear their own clothes with a white coat if they are not performing surgeries or any other procedure including blood or other bodily fluids. But for Nurse and other support staff, medical scrub becomes uniform