Benefits Of Wearing Disposable Gowns For Healthcare Workers

Disposable gowns are part of the common Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that medical professionals like nurses don during their work in the healthcare industry. Data from the National Center for Biotechnological Information show that disposable gowns are the second-most-used form of PPE in the healthcare industry. Commonly also referred to as hospital gowns, disposable gowns are truly an indispensable part of protection for healthcare workers. Read on to learn more about them and the benefits associated with wearing disposable gowns.

How Disposable Gowns Protect Wearers

Disposable gowns essentially act as a barrier between healthcare workers and invasive viruses and pathogens, protecting the wearer from the possible penetration of infectious fluids and microorganisms, thereby minimizing the spread of diseases.

As such, disposable gowns are an indispensable part of every medical facility. Given the outlook of the recent pandemic, more people have become aware of the different PPEs available to protect themselves such as disposable gowns. Disposable gowns play an integral role in protecting healthcare workers in surgery rooms and hospitals all year round, so every hospital must be adequately stocked with them at all times.

Different Types of Disposable Gowns

Due to the different levels of risks associated depending on the type of care healthcare workers are providing, patients and medical professionals alike will don different types of medical gowns. As such, in 2004, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a consensus standard for protection, describing the barrier protection levels of different types of gowns. In addition, they also specified various test methods and necessary performance standards to validate the use of gowns. Depending on the result, how effective a gown is can be broken down into 4 different levels:

• Level 1: Level 1 gowns are to be used for environments with minimal risks, such as during basic care and standard isolation. Level 1 gowns are also often used for visitors in standard medical units.
• Level 2: Level 2 gowns are used in low-risk scenarios where there is higher exposure to viruses. Examples of use include during suturing, blood draw, pathology laboratories, as well as the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
• Level 3: Level 3 gowns are used in moderate-risk situations. Examples include trauma cases, emergency rooms, inserting an intravenous (IV) line, and during an arterial blood draw.
• Level 4: Level 4 gowns offer the highest level of protection for wearers and are to be used in high-risk environments. For example, they are often used in procedures and surgeries that are fluid-intensive and take a long time to complete. Apart from that, level 4 gowns are also used in situations where infectious diseases are suspected to be present as well as when pathogen resistance is necessary.

Isolation Gowns

Isolation gowns are specifically designed for use in medium to high-risk situations. As such, disposable medical isolation gowns can be used in almost all medical scenarios, making them a popular choice for use in healthcare facilities like hospitals.