ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: When going into the intensive care unit (ICU), health care workers (HCWs) and visitors are required to put on cover-gowns and change into slippers, which is considered by some hospitals as one of the customary infection control practices. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of cover-gowns and slippers in reducing nosocomial infections in the medical ICU (MICU). METHODS: The study was carried out in four periods. In the period-I (January to June, 2002), all HCWs and visitors put on cover-gowns when entering the MICU, but not in the period-II (July to December, 2002). They were required to change into slippers in the period-III (January to April, 2004), but not in the period-IV (May to August, 2004). RESULTS: Nosocomial infection rates during the period-I and period-II were 14.8 and 12.6 per 100 discharges (P>0.05) or 14.1 and 13.6 per 1,000 patient days (P>0.05), respectively. During the period-III and period-IV respective infection rates were 9.4 and 12.6 (P>0.05) or 10.2 and 15.7 (P>0.05). There were no statistical differences in device utilization ratios, device-associated infection rates, and site of infections (P>0.05) between the periods of I and II or between the periods of III and IV. CONCLUSION: These results showed that the intervention of cover-gown and slipper change is a non-effective factor in reducing nosocomial infections in the MICU; therefore, the infection control practice of cover-gown and slipper changes for HCWs and visitors entering the ICU should be eliminated.