The importance of wearing any personal protective equipment in a healthcare setting is a no-brainer, especially during the times of COVID-19. There is a range of personal protective equipment which has been classified as “essential” for healthcare workers dealing with patients in or outside hospitals.
PPE is a critical component in the hierarchy of controls used to protect healthcare workers who have contact with patients, body fluids, specimens or infectious hazards. The PPE kit of healthcare workers majorly includes gowns, respirators, face masks, gloves, eye protection, face shields, and head and shoe coverings. These protective pieces of equipment help in reducing the spread of droplets or other body fluids and hence reduce the risk of secondary spread.
Out of all these, gowns are one part of an overall infection-control strategy. Healthcare workers are recommended to wear a full-body gown to protect themselves from the spread of infection or illness since the wearer is in contact with potentially infectious liquid and solid material.
What are Isolation Gowns?
Isolation gowns are used to protect healthcare workers’ arms and exposed body areas during procedures and patient-care activities. Isolation gowns, also called non-surgical gowns, are one of the types of PPE designed to protect the wearer from the spread of illness and disease if they come across the source of infection. It can include blood, body fluids, and other infectious materials.
As defined by Isolation gowns are defined by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), isolation gown is “protective apparel used to protect healthcare workers and patients from the transfer of microorganisms and body fluids”. It provides two-way protection, keeping both the wearer and the patient safe from infection.
Types of Isolation Gown
Many different types of isolation gowns are currently available for healthcare workers with varying protection levels. Moreover, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has divided these medical gowns into three categories:
- Surgical Gown – Intended to be worn by healthcare personnel during surgical procedures.
- Surgical Isolation Gowns – Used when there is a medium to high risk of contamination and a need for larger critical zones of protection.
- Non-surgical Gowns – Worn in low or minimal risk situations.
The need for, and type of isolation gown selected, is based on the nature of the patient interaction, including the anticipated degree of contact with infectious material and potential for blood and body fluid penetration of the barrier.
How to select the right isolation gown?
When it comes to selecting an isolation gown, few factors need to be considered to purchase.
- The purpose for which the gown is required – One needs to answer questions like who will be wearing the gown, in what setting etc. to determine what type of isolation gowns are required.
- The material of the gown is another factor that is considered before selecting a gown. Disposable isolation gowns are made from polyethylene or polypropylene whereas reusable isolation gowns are made from cotton or synthetic materials like polyester or a poly-cotton blend. Synthetic materials generally do a better job of blocking fluids, giving them an edge over cotton when it comes to stopping the spread of any infection.
- The risk-level of the environment and type of exposure anticipated also determines the type of isolation gown required by healthcare professionals.
Manufacturers are required to meet a set of standards and test methods for protective apparel, including surgical gowns. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) have created the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognized standard for gown rating. Surgical gowns can be rated AAMI Level 1, AAMI Level 2, AAMI Level 3 or AAMI Level 4.
Within that standard, AAMI has identified AATCC 42 and AATCC 127 as the key test requirements that a surgical gown must pass to be labelled AAMI Level 3.
- AATCC 42 – Water resistance: Impact Penetration Test to indicate how the fabric will resist strikethrough when fluids splash or spray onto the fabric.
- AATCC 127 – Water resistance: Hydrostatic Pressure Test to indicate how the fabric will resist strikethrough when water pressure is applied to the surface of the fabric.