# Doctors neckties a health hazard - Interesting new study! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 26, 2004, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctors-neckties-a-health-hazard-interesting-new-study/247117 "2004-05-26T03:11:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctors-neckties-a-health-hazard-interesting-new-study/247117/1 "2004-05-26T03:11:28Z")
MDs’ neckties ‘a health hazard’ > [@](#): > > In an interview, Nurkin said he began wondering about the possibility of contamination when he noticed swinging ties coming in contact with patient bedding, even patients themselves. > > After all, earlier research had shown items doctors routinely carry — pens, pagers, cell phones and stethoscopes — are often teeming with all sorts of bugs. And cloth is known to harbour pathogens, which is why surgical staff change gowns between patients. > > But whereas doctors now know to clean their phones and pagers, “the necktie, you don’t,” Nurkin said. > > So he and some colleagues from the hospital’s infectious disease lab swabbed the ties of 42 doctors, physician assistants and medical students, and cultured the swabs to see what, if anything, would grow. They compared the results to swabs taken of the ties of 10 hospital security guards, who were used as a control because though they work in a similar environment, they rarely come in contact with patients. > > Nearly half of the doctors’ ties were positive for bugs like Staphylococcus aureus, which can cause wound infections, pneumonia, meningitis and food poisoning, among other things. Only one of the security guards’ ties tested positive. > > McGeer said it’s easy to see how this happens — and the type of threat it might pose for the transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and other pathogens. > > “I go see a patient who has MRSA,” she explained, using the acronym for methicillin-resistant Staph aureus. > > “I get MRSA on my hands, I transfer it to my tie. Then I wash my hands… While I talk to the (next) patient, I fiddle with my tie. And then I transfer the MRSA back from my tie to my hands. And that’s what would create the problem.” ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctors-neckties-a-health-hazard-interesting-new-study/247117/2 "2004-05-26T09:40:29Z")
> [@](#): > > “I get MRSA on my hands, I transfer it to my tie. Then I wash my hands… While I talk to the (next) patient, I fiddle with my tie. And then I transfer the MRSA back from my tie to my hands. And that’s what would create the problem.” There’s a word for this: cross-contamination. I’m shocked how many healthcare and foodservice workers don’t understand this simple concept. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctors-neckties-a-health-hazard-interesting-new-study/247117/3 "2004-05-26T13:10:13Z")
And my preference for female doctors suddenly takes on whole new meaning. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctors-neckties-a-health-hazard-interesting-new-study/247117/4 "2004-05-26T13:45:59Z")
Doctors used to understand this a lot more. Reliance on antibiotics over the last half-century has led to less reliance on basic hygeine. Many hospitals are quite dirty places, while back in the '50’s they would be spotlessly clean. The necktie issue with doctors used to be patients in pain grabbing them. Many doctors, years ago, wore bow ties for that reason. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctors-neckties-a-health-hazard-interesting-new-study/247117/5 "2004-05-26T14:56:44Z")
Just posting a [link that works.](http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/print/CTVNews/1085432142203_80841342/?hub=CTVNewsAt11&subhub=PrintStory) 😉