XY SCRUBS TREATED WITH XY DEFEND™
Antimicrobial Scrubs May Reduce the Bacterial Burden on your Scrubs
The use of antimicrobial-impregnated scrubs combined with good hand hygiene is effective in reducing the burden of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on healthcare workers’ apparel and may potentially play a role in decreasing the risk of MRSA transmission to patients, according to a new study from Virginia Commonwealth University researchers. [Full Article]
Our fabric has been treated with a patented, odor eliminating and antimicrobial process, XY Defend™. Unlike disinfectants, sanitizers and bleaches, XY Defend™ forms a molecular bond to the surface of our scrubs, which disrupts the cell membranes of harmful fungi and bacteria, inhibiting, reducing and providing long-term, residual kill. Our anti-odor and antimicrobial treatment does not contain heavy metals, is non-leaching, and will remain active for the life of the scrubs.
- Unique bound technology
- Does not contribute to microbe “Resistance”
- Green – does not leach or deplete
- Safe – uses no poisons or heavy metals
- Proven effective throughout garment life time (20 washings)
- Efficacy proven through independent testing
- A patented and EPA registered product
- Kills Gram (+) and Gram (- ) bacteria, fungi, yeast, and viruses.
How XY Defend™ Works
One end of the XY Defend™ molecule creates a strong bond with a multitude of surfaces, both porous and nonporous, forming a highly durable protective coating. The other end of the molecule forms a microscopic bed of spikes that puncture microbes like a bed of nails or a Spartan phalanx formation. The XY Defend™ Microbiostatic Antimicrobial Coating physically ruptures the cell walls of these microbes, without the use of poisons. Since the XY Defend™ Microbiostatic Antimicrobial Coating methodology is mechanical instead of a poison, it does not create “superbugs”, which are microbes that build up a resistance to treatment. Learn more about the science of XY Scrubs.
AND OUR SCRUBS ARE MADE USING RECYCLED PLASTIC BOTTLES, TOO. COOL, huh?
Jan 2012 || Infection Control Today
The use of antimicrobial-impregnated scrubs combined with good hand hygiene is effective in reducing the burden of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on healthcare workers’ apparel and may potentially play a role in decreasing the risk of MRSA transmission to patients, according to a new study from Virginia Commonwealth University researchers.
Previous findings have shown that hospital textiles may contribute to the transmission of pathogens through indirect contact via the hands of hospital staff and that antimicrobial textiles may reduce the bioburden, or the number of bacteria living on a surface before sterilization in clinical settings.
Led by Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, associate professor of internal medicine in the VCU School of Medicine and associate hospital epidemiologist at the VCU Medical Center, the study “A Crossover Trial of Antimicrobial Scrubs to Reduce Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Burden on Healthcare Worker Apparel,” is currently available online and will appear in the March issue of the journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
“We strive to study infection prevention interventions that are simple yet effective for the reduction of health care associated infections,” says Bearman. “The goal is to affect change or implement risk reduction by methods that are both easily implemented and sustained.”
In the study, 32 healthcare workers wore four pairs of identically appearing control scrubs and study scrubs impregnated with an antimicrobial, or germ-killing, compound over the course of four months, washing them regularly. Participants also received identical hand hygiene educational sessions every four weeks, and researchers assessed compliance with hand hygiene practices.
Researchers conducted once weekly, unannounced, garment and hand cultures of participants at the start and end of each shift where they obtained two samples from the garment’s abdominal area and cargo pant pocket – two areas of high-touch and high bacterial colonization.
According to Bearman, although the scrubs did not impact the degree of MRSA on the healthcare workers’ hands, the antimicrobial scrubs were effective in reducing the burden of MRSA on healthcare worker apparel.
“It is critical for healthcare workers and patients to understand that the environment—including inanimate surfaces and apparel – is not sterile, and is frequently a reservoir of drug resistant bacteria,” says Bearman. “Meticulous hand hygiene at the point of patient care is critical for reducing the risk of a hospital-acquired infection.
“If widespread antimicrobial scrub use were added to existing infection prevention strategies, a further decrease in hospital acquired infections may occur by limiting the cross transmission of pathogens via apparel. The actual impact of antimicrobial scrubs on hospital acquired infections needs further study,” he adds.
When I was a junior Surgery resident in Brooklyn, NY, my landlord turned out to be a fashion designer… From that chance connection, XY SCRUBS was born.
We had a great idea, had prototypes made and re-made in Manhattan’s Garment District, and had hope and dreams by the bushell. It took well over a year working with the banks before our SBA Loan was approved, and we could really get started. During this time, I really began investing myself into the idea of making and selling scrubs, I learned about Unifi’s Repreve Polyester, made from recycled plastic bottles. I decided, if I was going to make scrubs, they would be the best scrubs I could possibly create. I traveled to Greensboro, NC, met with Keith there and some of the good folks at Unifi, and decided to go with their Repreve polyester in our scrubs.
Being involved in patient care everyday, I was well aware of the Hospital-Associated Infection epidemic sweeping our nation’s hospitals. I thought I might be presented with a very unique set of circumstances: being at the right place at the right time. If I was going to make scrubs, why not be a part of the growing battle against HAIs. Perhaps Antimicrobial scrubs will play a role in impeding their spread. I spent a great deal of time researching Antimicrobial treatments appropriate for our scrubs. There have been several exciting studies completed over the last several years demonstrating the potential for Antimicrobial use on scrubs and other Hospital textiles. Exhausting the details, I soon learned I didn’t want to use nano-silver; but I came into contact with a chemical company out of Jupiter, FL. Their product, invented and produced in the USA, was originally created by Dow chemical company in the 1980s as a way to prevent mold from ruining moist drywall and paints. Its use as an Antimicrobial treatment had been well established for 30 years, however, its application in the hospital was just beginning to be explored. I traveled to meet with Joe and spoke a great deal with Randy.
Their treatment was permanent, was not a poison and would not leach into ground water, and had fantastic lab verification after even 50 washings, so I made my decision and formed an agreement and had the Trademark XY DEFEND
From start to finish, I’ve personally reviewed and been involved in each and every detail of XY SCRUBS. It’s truly been a labor of love now for five years. It’s been a great struggle, but one I’ve found I truly enjoy and am proud to say I offer the very best pair of scrubs I’ve been able to produce through five years of my sincere best efforts.
If you’re interested, our new 2012 product catalog can be found here.
Thanks again for your support,
Todd Ruiter
XY SCRUBS
Recycled Poly || Antimicrobial ||
SCRUBS FOR MEN by Men who wear scrubs
Repreve pulls post-consumer products out of the waste stream. But making Repreve is not just about recycling things 
like used water bottles. Behind every mound of post-consumer waste is a mountain of pre-consumer waste. That’s why our process includes collecting and using pre-consumer waste from manufacturing. We start with our own—collecting and reusing all of our own industrial.
Repreve is actually a versatile family of fibers made from 100% recycled materials. Some are made with nothing but post-consumer waste (plastic bottles) or post-industrial waste (nylon), others with a hybrid blend of post-consumer and post-industrial waste. Plus, some versions of Repreve can be engineered to perform just like non-recycled fibers —with moisture wicking and stretch, for example. Repreve is also sold to yarn and textile mills as staple fiber, which they make into recycled yarns and other earth-friendly textile
On Tuesday, June 19, the Covidien Innovation Tour stopped in at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center.
• See our photo gallery on Facebook
The Covidien Innovation Tour is a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience and training in a replicated lab environment to learn single incision and advanced laparoscopic techniques. SILS™ procedures are among the most significant advances in laparoscopic surgery in the last 20 years. With the increase in demand for more SILS™ procedure training, Covidien is going on the road to meet leading laparoscopic surgeons who want to provide innovative surgery to patients but don’t have the time to travel to take a course.
Visitors were able to experience Covidien’s single incision and laparoscopic instrumentation along with many other recently released surgical products.
Modern life is also creating new challenges for the medical industry. Every day, medical professionals risk healthcare-associated infections from increasingly antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Additionally, doctors and nurses can sometimes act as vectors for disease transmission, carrying dangerous bacteria on their hands, equipment and even their uniforms. This is especially problematic in sensitive environments, such as those that treat immuno-compromised patients or in surgical settings.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, individuals who become infected with antimicrobial-resistant strains of bacteria are more likely to have longer hospital stays and may also be more likely to die from infection. Indeed, an estimated 99,000 people die each year in the United States as a result of healthcare-associated infections. Furthermore, certain infections, such as those caused by Acinetobacter and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), occur most frequently in, and are sometimes exclusive to, healthcare settings and are becoming more prevalent. A recent study conducted by researchers in Israel found that over 60 percent of medical uniforms carried potential pathogens, and up to 14 percent carried antibiotic-resistant bacteria. These menacing strains of bacteria are even showing up in unexpected settings, such as dental schools.
To combat healthcare-associated infections, some states are passing laws that require hospitals to report infections, and Medicare is now withholding two percent of payments from hospitals that don’t. Hospitals are feeling the pressure and are taking measures to cut their infection rates. For many of these hospitals, scrubs and other uniform items have become a major target of infection-reduction efforts, creating a new opportunity for uniform manufacturers.
One such manufacturer is New York-based XY Scrubs, founded by surgery resident Todd Ruiter last April. Ruiter had initially set out to create a fashion-forward line of scrubs for men but soon broadened his focus to include antimicrobial fabric technology. “As a surgery resident, I was dealing with this problem every day, as healthcare-associated infections really are becoming an epidemic in this country,” Ruiter explains. “It’s my belief, as a physician and surgery resident with ten years’ experience, that all textiles used in patient care in the hospitals will, in the near future, employ antimicrobials as a way to fight or limit the spread of HAIs.”
Ruiter researched antimicrobials and eventually chose a unique finish created by Dow Chemical Co., now trademarked as XY Defend. This finish, unlike other chemical treatments, is permanently bound to the fabric and will not wash away. Most unique is the way in which XY Defend interacts with bacteria. The finish, says Ruiter, “kills microbes by physically disrupting their architecture, literally shearing the microbe apart on contact, and therefore, it has not been shown to select for any resistance over 25 years of testing and application in consumer goods.”
Ruiter believes this level of constant protection from germs to be ideal. “If a majority of our scrubs will be harboring pathogenic bacteria by the end of a day’s work, the possibility for passing the germs along between patients throughout the day certainly exists. Antimicrobial treatments on hospital textiles, such as our XY Defend, may play a role in preventing this,” he says.
It’s a dangerous world, and those who find themselves on the frontlines of danger must take special precautions to protect themselves as they serve others. It’s up to uniform manufacturers and retailers to stay abreast of the risks that their end-users and customers face and the ways in which their products can protect them. While uniformed professionals dodge bullets, bacteria and blazes, it’s the uniform industry that can help strengthen their defenses.
Read the entire Article from Made to Measure Magazine Here
Our newly released || XY SCRUBS || 2012 Product Catalog || Scrubs for Men; by Men who Wear Scrubs
Along with the changes in technology in medical world today, medical scrubs have kept up with the evolution.
Not only are there comfortable, tailored scrubs for men, but advances in research have led to the perhaps the best evolution yet: Antimicrobial scrubs.
Let’s face it: You when you go to work, you are exposed to any number of health issues with your patients. Along with that comes exposure to different kinds of germs and diseases. Of course, there are procedures in place to keep the spread of germs down – and we’ve come a long way in that department – but if you had the chance to take it one step further, wouldn’t you take it?
Study after study shows that samples taken from the sleeves and pockets of medical scrubs have revealed many nasty revelations. Depending on who you may come in contact with, Staph and other drug-resistant organisms are alive and well on the scrubs you wear everyday.
Fight back.
Antimicrobial scrubs are an excellent line of defense. XY Scrubs, for example, is treated with a patented, odor-eliminating and antimicrobial process called XY Defend. What this means is that the fabric is proven to no contribute to microbe resistance and will remain effectinve through the life of your scrubs. What’s more is that XY Scrubs does not use poisons or heavy metals, so you don’t have to worry about chemicals on your skin.
Let’s face it. You can’t go to work in a bubble, and if you were terrified of germs, you probably wouldn’t have chosen this line of work. But, why not take advantage of new technology that can help keep you at your best while on the job and off the clock. By wearing antimicrobial men’s scrubs, you are taking that extra line of defense that will help keep you feeling good regardless what you might encounter.
Being a medical professional is one of the most demanding, yet rewarding jobs in the world. For hours on end, you’re on your feet, working 12-hour shifts and working with many different patients with different ailments.
If you go home completely wiped out and can’t seem to ever get rested, it may be time to evaluate what you wear to work every day.
Most medical professionals are quick to change out a pair of shoes, but the right set of men’s scrubs can make all the difference. Being able to move freely during times of high-stress and quick thinking helps keep your mind focused on the task at hand. Scrubs were built around the idea of being breathable, loose-fitting and having functional pockets, but not all scrubs are created equal. Some scrubs are softer, more tailored for men and have deeper pockets than others.
Finally, vented scrub tops can make all the difference in the way you feel. Men’s scrubs with vents and mesh support allow you to stay cool and comfortable throughout your busy day. Vented men’s scrubs allow for more air flow to your body to keep your body temperature under control. Vents also add to the tailored, professional look of your scrubs.
When you wear a pair of scrubs, you are setting yourself apart as a responsible member of society that takes care of others when they are hurt or sick. Make sure that you take care of yourself when your body is telling you it’s not very comfortable on the job and put yourself in a set of men’s scrubs that works just as hard as you do.
