The Sanford, Florida-based company offers a disposable scrubs vending machine called the ScrubsPort, along with a software system to track who’s active in a hospital’s OR.
Hospital acquired infections are a huge multi-billion dollar problem for providers, with one of the largest risks being surgical site infections. In some cases these issues can be linked to contaminated scrubs.
One analysis found that at the end of a standard 8-hour workshift, a majority of scrubs worn by hospital personnel are carrying dangerous bacteria including antibiotic resistant strains of MRSA, VRE and C-Diff.
Additionally, some of these strains cling to the fabric of scrubs and are nearly impossible to get rid completely through traditional home laundry methods. While hospitals have taken steps to improve practices and limit the potential for infection among internal staff, there is still a major risk posed by traveling surgical sales reps.
“The individual you see standing at a store, or the gym, or in Starbucks in scrubs is most likely one of these medical device reps. They’re going from hospital to hospital throughout the day and they’re not changing even when they’re standing over patients,” said Jeff Feuer, the CEO of RepScrubs.
Feuer’s Sanford, Florida-based company offers a disposable scrubs vending machine called the ScrubsPort, along with a software system to track who’s active in a hospital’s OR.
RepScrubs was founded by Feuer, a 25-year veteran of medical device sales, in 2013. Last year, the company raised a $1.5 million Series A financing round from Florida Funders and DeepWork Capital.
By Kevin Truong | MedCity News
Image Credit: Daevich Mikalai, Getty Images
Can you provide any documentation that in some cases, surgical site infections can be linked to contaminated scrubs? Same goes for the mention of one analysis that found that a majority of scrubs worn by hospital personnel are carrying dangerous bacteria at the end of a standard 8-hour workshift.
What a joke. Us reps put the hospital’s scrubs on just like hospital staff. Reps wearing scrubs at Starbucks who then go to a hospital’s OR, changes into the hospital’s official OR scrubs. These companies are making money…plain and simple. They charge reps a fee to purchase “paper” scrubs each and every time they go to that OR. The scrubs fall apart, never fit right, itch, and are incredibly uncomfortable. Again, the whole reason this company exists, is to make money selling lies. No thanks.
Not all reps change into the hospital scrubs when entering a new hospital. If you do this, you are the anomaly. Regardless if it is protocol or not that practice is not always followed.
I would be interested to see the evidence based studies that show scrubs have been directly linked to SSI.