An Interesting History Of Surgical Scrubs

considering the purchase of surgical scrubs for yourpatient's disease and illness.
career, you may be interested in the interesting historyAround that same time, the medical staff started using
of where those surgical scrubs actually came from.heavy gloves made of a heavy rubber material, but
Understanding the interesting history behind surgicalthis was not done to protect the patient. In fact, this
scrubs may give you a better understanding of whywas done to protect the staff when utilizing any harsh
keeping your surgical scrubs is clean and neat aschemicals to clean the surgical environment.
possible is such a necessity in today's modern age.By the 1940s, surgical staff started wearing white
Specialized garments utilized for surgical proceduresuniforms and scrubs. However, the medical apparel
was not a common occurrence until the early to midworn as well as the surgical scrubs worn often cause
20th Century. Surgical procedures that werestrain on the eyes because of a white coloring against
conducted were often conducted in a large theaterthis strikingly white surgical environment.
type environment were people could watch theIt wasn't until the 1950s and 1960s that surgical scrubs
procedures being performed by the medical staff.came in to play. Medical apparel designers started
Often, the surgeon wore every day history clothes toexperimenting with the coloration of the surgical scrubs.
the procedure, except from time to time that medicalThe first surgical scrubs were called surgical greens.
professional or medical surgeon may wear aSimply because the surgical scrubs were the green
butcher’s apron at his or her convenience.color popular today. Surgical scrubs that were green in
Not surprisingly, sterile instruments and other suchcolor were not a defensive to the patient or the
supplies were not common. Often, even for closing themedical staff. Surgical scrubs that were green in color,
wound, sutures were a gut string and a commonor the blue that became popular in the late 60s, could
sewing needle that was reused until they were wornnot show the blood splattering as did the white
out. Even the medical gauze used to cover or protectcounterparts.
the patient was nothing more than remnants foundWhen it comes to surgical scrubs, things have
usually from the floor of local cotton mills.changed a lot today. By the 1980s, surgical scrubs
So how did surgical scrubs come into the equation?were no longer simply green or blue. In fact, surgical
Well, in 1918, there was a Spanish flu pandemic. Inscrubs were a multitude of various colors and by the
addition, there was an interesting theory going aroundmid 1980s, surgical scrubs came in an array of designs.
the medical community called Lister's antiseptic theory.Yes surgical scrubs have come a long way in such a
The first step was actually wearing masks forshort time. It is going to be interesting to see what
surgeries, but this was not done to protect the patient.surgical scrubs have in store for us in the coming
Instead, wearing surgical masks may have been simplecenturies.
cotton material used to protect the surgeon from the