PARKVILLE, Mo. — Bacteria can sit on a lot of things including the scrubs that health professionals wear. A metro company is selling scrubs that could help prevent bacteria from spreading.
In a simulation lab at Park University, nursing students don’t have to worry about patients who are contagious. But the students also go into hospitals to care for real patients with germs.
“Safety. Number one concern. We wash our hands more than anything,” said Matt Mohatt, a student.
Their scrubs in school colors might also help prevent them from spreading bacteria to themselves, other patients or even friends and family.
“It just made sense to look at some sort of scrub that was not only durable, looked well, but also had that added benefit,” said Gerry Walker, the chair of the nursing program.
Park students are the first students in the midwest to wear the anti-microbial scrubs sold by MorUniversity, an Olathe apparel company. It says the scrubs are treated with a solution which contains properties of silver to combat the growth of bacteria.
“It will literally kick that off there,” said Donna Nelson of MorUniversity although she added there isn’t published research showing that yet.
“We do have clinical data we’ve started building on this,” she said.
Studies of other antimicrobial scrubs have shown mixed results. One found a reduced amount of MRSA, a bad staph infection, on the fabric. But another study found no lower bacterial counts on two brands of antimicrobials compared to standard scrubs.
The MorUniversity scrubs cost $100 for a top and pants.
“Yea, they were kinda high-priced, but we’ll see,” said Mohatt.
They’ll see if the scrubs lower the chances that the students and others get bacterial infections.
The scrubs are only designed to protect against bacteria not viruses. The founder of MorUniversity, Chris Davis, got the idea for the scrubs after talking with his daughter who is a nurse.
