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Scrubs were introduced to medical settings to create a sterile environment for surgeries. Joseph Lister introduced antiseptic procedures in the 19th century, but it wasn’t until the 1940s that surgeons began wearing special clothing. Scrubs are now available in various colors and patterns, and are also sold as casual wear and sleepwear.
Scrubs are a uniform that generally consists of a simple short-sleeved cotton shirt and drawstring trousers. They are worn in a medical setting. The name scrub comes from the practice of doctors washing or scrubbing their hands thoroughly before performing surgery. Traditionally, scrubs are light green in color, but modern doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel are choosing scrubs in brighter colors and even patterns.
Hard to believe, but up until the end of the 19th century, surgeons performed operations in street clothes, which they covered with an apron similar to that worn by butchers. Operating theaters were nothing more than large auditoriums and surgeries were performed without the benefit of a sterile environment. Surgeons did not wash their hands before operating and instruments were not sterilized. Small wonder, then, that in the mid-19th century nearly 19% of surgical patients died of sepsis.
Joseph Lister, a British surgeon, was concerned about the number of deaths among his post-operative patients. He began studying the work of Louis Pasteur, who had been researching bacteria, and as a result Lister began using carbolic acid to cleanse patients’ wounds. After nine months, his patients no longer died of sepsis and he finally began to operate under antiseptic conditions.
However, antiseptic procedures were slow to catch on, and despite the fact that nurses had started wearing white uniforms in the early 1900s, it wasn’t until the 1940s that surgeons began to routinely wear special clothing in the operating room. Early surgical clothing consisted of surgical gowns and drapes, and these were usually made from white cotton. However, white clothing was found to reflect light, and in the 1950s, they switched to green.
The plain green overalls first became popular in the 1970s. Medical staff found the uniform comfortable and functional. Even hospital administrators were impressed with the scrubs’ cheapness and ease of maintenance.
Today, many hospitals use a variety of colors to differentiate between wards, while surgical scrubs continue to be primarily green. Pediatric staff often wear gowns decorated with cartoon characters, putting young patients and parents at ease. The staff of many doctors’ offices also wear lab coats. Additionally, scrubs are also sold as casual wear and sleepwear.
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