Surgical attire, practices and their perception in the prevention of surgical site infection.

INTRODUCTION: Clean surgical scrubs, surgical gowns and headgear are worn by operative teams to decrease bacterial contamination and lower surgical site infection (SSI) rates.

METHODS: A detailed review was undertaken of peer-reviewed publications and other sources of material in the English language over the last 50 years included.

RESULTS: Surgical scrubs should be clean and made of tightly woven material. Studies investigating single-use gowns and drapes versus reusable gowns report conflicting evidence. Double gloving may reduce SSI rates in procedures where no antibiotic prophylaxis was administered. Bacterial contamination of the operative field has been shown to be decreased by the wearing of surgical headgear by the operating team.

CONCLUSIONS: Further consideration and better trials are required to determine the impact of different theatre clothing on SSI rates.