In the UK, many hospitals are riddled with the MRSA bug. The British Medical Association (BMA) has now decided that doctors are spreading this from patient to patient on their clothes, and have singled out the wearing of ties as being of particular concern, and strongly suggested banning them. (see links)

This is rather a pity when the obvious solution to this problem is my new Tie Steriliser.

The Tie Steriliser is a hand held, twin roller apparatus, much like a set of hair tongs. After visiting each patient, the attentive doctor simply clamps it unto his/her tie near the collar, and draws it down the entire length, allowing the steaming rollers to totally purify the tie's front and nether regions.

After use, the Steriliser is popped back into its belt worn, recharging holster, ready for the next examination.
-- xenzag, Sep 18 2007

Tie Died ! (apologies) http://medrants.com...x.php/archives/2711
one of many articles on the deadly super-bug transporting tie [xenzag, Sep 18 2007]

Untied Front http://www.timesonl...k/article733000.ece
[xenzag, Sep 18 2007]

anti-superbug anti-superbug_20neckties_2e
[po, Sep 18 2007]

Ties that bind in the NHS http://www.timesonl.../article1264232.ece
Mentions propensity of surgeons to wear bow ties [hippo, Sep 18 2007]

This certainly would help, but ties are not the main reason for the spread of MRSA.

My father-in-law went in to hospital a month ago for a knee operation, and he contracted MRSA (he's still there because of this).

I would say it was more likely that the cause of the infection was the fact that his room had not been cleaned for two weeks. Given the fact that the room had an ensuite toilet, it beggars belief.

So, although the tie steriliser is a positive step, it won't stamp out MRSA. For that, you need cleaners who actually do their job. [+]
-- jtp, Sep 18 2007


Surgeons all wear bow ties, for this reason.
-- hippo, Sep 18 2007


[jtp] You also need cleaners who aren't expected to do the work of four for a pittance.

[hippo] Anyone who habitually wears a bow tie is a twat, surely, not a surgeon.

(+)
-- squeak, Sep 18 2007


[squeak] - Sure, in some places the cleaners are indeed overworked. In this particular place (North Middlesex Hospital, Edmonton, North London), the cleaners can be seen wandering around, gormlessly pushing brooms around without ever sweeping up what's being collected by the broom.
-- jtp, Sep 18 2007


[squeak] Why? Surgeons wear ties because they're practical and don't drape in patients' innards during operations.
-- hippo, Sep 18 2007


I wouldn't expect a surgeon to wear a tie outside his theatre gown (or whatever that thing that fastens at the back is (somewhat similar to the waterproofs you get at a theme park)).

Perhaps they should have disposable paper ties or t-shirts with a tie printed on.
-- marklar, Sep 18 2007


I always thought doctors wore ties so they'd have a place to wipe the thermometer.

These devices should also be handy at a buffet or salad bar.
-- Noexit, Sep 18 2007


from the linked article, re wahsing hands.

/Ideally this should be done after every contact with a patient, but in practice that would be impossible./

How annoying. Getting rid of ties while handwashing is not universal is like spraying deodorizer around the bathroom but leaving a big clump of poop basking in the bowl.

The other thing about these superbugs is that I suspect many nonhospitalized folks are colonized with superbugs, especially MRSA. Those are their flora, so when they get infected, that is what they get infected with.
-- bungston, Sep 18 2007


Actually, no. Some simple, indeed, standard procedures, like isolating and treating patients with "superbugs," have been very successful in cutting hospital infections.
-- DrCurry, Sep 18 2007



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