January 18, 2009
Why do doctors wear white lab coats?
Posted by: admin : Category: lab coats
Lab coats are a hygenic necessity - if a patient's bodily fluids come into contact with him or her, the doctor doesn't want to get that on his or her clothing, both out of self-interest, and to prevent potential pathogens from being transmitted to other people. To this effect, they can simply change their lab coats once they become contaminated, and have them cleaned.
They're white for two reasons. First, white is a color commonly associated with the medical profession and cleanliness, so in this sense it's tradition. However, there is a practical reason as well: bleach is an extremely common cleaning agent used in medical applications, so a lab coat of any other color wouldn't work.
