Infection Control Concerns
One of the challenges facing the change to reusable theatre caps is concerns around infection control. The evidence, however, does not reflect these concerns. In fact, the most commonly used disposable theatre caps have been shown to be the least effective barrier to transmission of particles.
https://www.psnetwork.org/reusable-theatre-hats-position-statement/
Present scientific evidence doesn’t demonstrate any association between type of hat and SSI rates.https://www.asahq.org/~/media/sites/asahq/files/public/advocacy/alerts/washington%20alerts/2018-4-27-or-attire-consensus-statement.pdf?la=en
It seems the main reason that disposable theatre caps are still used is simply because of the status quo. The use of reusable caps is widely supported by hospital staff and medical associations.
If you want to delve deeper into the various studies and supporting evidence there’s a wealth of information.https://www.psnetwork.org/theatrecapchallenge-wheres-the-evidence/
Hopefully, this will address any concerns around patient safety and encourage everyone the take up the #TheatreCapChallenge.
