Systematic review of surgical gowns in the control of contamination/surgical site infection

Abstract

Surgical scrubs are made with both fabric and non-fabric material. The study aimed to observe whether there is scientific evidence, according to the systematic review, that supports the practice of wearing scrubs in surgeries, according to the material they are made of. Basic intervention studies were considered, which investigated contamination and/or infection of the surgical site with the use of either reusable or single-use surgical scrubs, using people submitted to surgeries as the study population, either in real or simulated situations, at any period, without any language limitations. The strategy of searching electronic databases was used to find studies. With this, difficulties in isolating the object of intervention from countless other factors that can interfere in the outcomes were identified in studies of this type. Two studies (E1 and E2) showed strong evidence for the recommendation. In conclusion, there is no difference in contamination and infection of the surgical site between fabric and non-fabric scrubs.