Shirley Pérez, specialist in Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the Reina Sofía Hospital in Murcia.
“In areas such as the operating room, the use of plastic clogs is recommended, because it is one of the places where more a high number of secretions in the shoe“, admits Perez to Medical Writing. “These shoes, like any other exposed to a source of contamination, have to be washed later,” she adds, pointing out that “they are clogs also designed for it.”
Also, regarding the use of socks in this type of shoes, the doctor points out that it is essential to wear them. “You have to wear the clog and a clean sock, which should then be washed as soon as possible,” he says, adding that “it should also be included in the washing circuit with the rest of the clothes that may contain a possible source of contamination.” In fact, on this issue, more and more patients and professionals are flooding social networks, describing this practice as “nasty, unhygienic and unprofessional”.
Dirt on toilet shoes: “It’s incoherent”
But, apart from the areas where more secretions are concentrated, what is the most suitable footwear? Pérez explains to this newspaper that “shoes are also appropriate, just as work clothes are used.” “You have to avoid the footwear with which you leave the house and when working in other non-surgical areas, the most appropriate is the liner with velcro“, he says.
However, Pérez also admits that it is a “very individual” theme. “The footwear of the toilets needs a systematic cleaning, it is understandable that even in some areas this cleaning can last more days, but it is a practice of common sense and responsibility of each one”. In addition, the physician points out that it must always be taken into account that “handling without a subsequent correction measure can lead to a risk of cross-transmission“.
|
“If your duty is to provide health, |
“Obviously there’s always a chance of error in every action and if there’s a certain amount of dirt on your clogs and you subsequently touch the shoe and don’t clean your hands, you are a constant source of contagion”, explains Pérez, also giving the following example. “If there is work in a hospital and you enter the operating room, it is logical to have particles in your shoes, therefore, if you do not clean your clogs, when you move within that space, these particles can float in an environment where it is dangerous for that to happen”, points out.
Finally, Pérez places special emphasis on the fact that these situations are not only a danger to health, but also “the bad image that these practices project on the rest of that health professional.” “Being a health worker and wearing dirty shoes is incoherent”, he admits, before concluding that “when your duty is to provide health, the fact that you do not comply with hygiene standards is not consistent.” “You don’t build trust with the patient and you lose credibility,” she says.
Although it may contain statements, data or notes from health institutions or professionals, the information contained in Medical Writing is edited and prepared by journalists. We recommend the reader that any questions related to health be consulted with a health professional.
