Observational studyInfection control and hospital epidemiology2026
Healthcare worker long-sleeved attire contamination: a prospective observational study.
Observational study in Infection control and hospital epidemiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveEstimate bacterial pathogen contamination of healthcare workers' (HCW) long-sleeved attire.
designProspective observational study.
settingTertiary care hospital.
participantsHCWs wearing long-sleeved attire providing direct inpatient care.
interventionSampling of both sleeves of HCWs wearing long-sleeved attire was performed using a swab and cultured for aerobic bacterial growth classified as potential pathogens or presumptive skin commensals. Potential predictors of sleeve contamination, including participant survey responses related to attire and infection prevention practices, were analyzed using univariate analyses. Whole genome sequencing compared isolates to a genomic surveillance database of patient clinical isolates.
resultsAmong 280 samples, 81.1% (n = 227) demonstrated any bacterial growth and 20.7% (n = 58) grew ≥1 potential pathogen. Speciated organisms included alpha-hemolytic streptococci (n = 28),
conclusionsHCW long sleeve contamination occurs frequently, including with potential pathogens. Changing trends in attire type may have an impact on bacterial transmissibility. While this study could not infer transmission events associated with clinically diagnosed patient infections, the potential benefit of a "bare below the elbows" attire policy warrants further investigation.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.