3 ms·

Not just handwashing... There's a theory popular with jaded biologists that neckties alone may have killed more people than some minor genocides. And the fail

Not just handwashing... There's a theory popular with jaded biologists that neckties alone may have killed more people than some minor genocides. And the failure to perfect the practice of hand-washing is somewhat easy to understand: it's tedious, especially when done dozens of times per day. Some people suffer skin irritation. The cause of any infection can almost never be traced, making it hard to learn and/or punish the guilty. Banning neckties is a rather binary policy decision, and compliance would be extremely easy to monitor. One would think people with advanced academic degrees would see the upside, and don't need to signal status with superfluous items of clothing in addition to that doctorate.

jraby3 6y ago
How do neckties cause deaths?
- mattkrause 6y ago
  A possible source of infection. Ties are pretty mobile and can easily brush against a patient or instrument, especially if the doctor is leaning forward. Unlike other clothing, they are also rarely washed and they seem less essential than, say, pants. A few studies have isolated MRSA and other nosocomial nasties from ties. However, it's unclear how much of an actual risk this is, and ties are thought to convey some sense of professionalism that makes the patients take medical advice more seriously and...tradition (ugh). This bit from The Lancet has some back-and-forth about it. https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140673607618911.pdf https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS014067360...
- nextaccountic 6y ago
  some links: https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/hospital-ban-physician-neckties-other-attire-proposed-ny-bill https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/hospital-ban-phys... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5878945/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5878945/
- stemcc 6y ago
  Seems like they can be vectors for bacterial spread. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18205553/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18205553/

jraby3 6y ago

How do neckties cause deaths?

mattkrause 6y ago
A possible source of infection. Ties are pretty mobile and can easily brush against a patient or instrument, especially if the doctor is leaning forward. Unlike other clothing, they are also rarely washed and they seem less essential than, say, pants. A few studies have isolated MRSA and other nosocomial nasties from ties. However, it's unclear how much of an actual risk this is, and ties are thought to convey some sense of professionalism that makes the patients take medical advice more seriously and...tradition (ugh). This bit from The Lancet has some back-and-forth about it. https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140673607618911.pdf https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS014067360...
nextaccountic 6y ago
some links: https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/hospital-ban-physician-neckties-other-attire-proposed-ny-bill https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/hospital-ban-phys... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5878945/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5878945/
stemcc 6y ago
Seems like they can be vectors for bacterial spread. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18205553/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18205553/