What is an OT Dress? Why is it Important?

Surgeries are conducted in rooms called operation theaters (OT). These rooms are highly sterile and consist only of tables to keep surgical tools and gases like oxygen and anesthetics.

When in the operation theater, nurses and surgeons alike need to wear the appropriate clothing.

This is because of the same reason that all members of hospital staff on duty wear scrubs. It is partly for identification purposes but primarily for hygiene and cleanliness.

OT scrub dresses create a barrier between the germs residing on your skin and clothes against the patient. 

Aside from this, the barrier also blocks any bodily fluids of the patient from getting onto those operating on them. For this purpose, patients are also made to wear surgical gowns.

Importance of OT Dress or OT Suit

Most surgeries are invasive and require the hospital staff in the OT to come into contact with several bodily substances.

Thus, it must be ensured that the appropriate OT attire is worn by those operating or involved in the procedure.

For the doctor/surgeon, this is a surgical OT dress, and for nurses, it is scrub OT dresses.

Surgical masks and gloves for all present in the room are also a must aside from OT dress designs.

Types of OT Uniforms

OT uniforms are most commonly colored surgical blue. You may have noticed doctors and nurses in hospitals running around wearing green or blue scrubs and tight caps.

These are the professionals that work most commonly in OT rooms.

Most often, attire for medical professionals is unisex, but there are types of OT dresses for male and female bodies specifically.

• OT dress for male doctors: The shoulders are usually broader for men’s OT dress male styles, alongside larger starting sizes.

• OT dress for female doctors: These are slimmer fitting uniforms.

• Scrub dress unisex scrubs: Looser fits for male and female doctors and nurses.

• OT dress with names: You can get your OT dress online to customize it with your name and even your hospital logo.

Benefits of OT Dresses

OT dresses are a form of protective clothing for doctors and nurses directly interacting with patients.

They also protect the patients at the same time. In surgery, the body is quite literally sliced open, and the risk of microbial spread is present without protective wear.

Taking into consideration that OT dresses are only green or blue, there are logical reasons behind this.

Another benefit of OT dresses is that they keep the focus on the patient because of the psychological effects of the color green or blue.

Other colors have dampening or distracting effects on the mind, making blue and green the most beneficial colors in terms of OT attire.