Different Kinds of Hospital Gowns

Gowns are nothing but Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that the medical industry uses. It is important to wear these garments to reduce diseases and infections. It also helps reduce the transmission of harmful microorganisms from coming in contact with the patients. Different gowns provide different levels of protection based on the risk of exposure to bodily fluids. For different functions, different gowns are needed. It acts as a barrier between viruses, bacteria and other pathogens and the wearer. Keep reading further to know the different kinds of hospital gowns that a medical professional uses.

1. Hospital Gowns

  - Medical Gowns:

To keep their workers safe, especially in the hospitals and other healthcare facilities, they need to make sure that they are providing them with protective clothing. Medical gown helps protect them by reducing the risks that these medical professionals face at their work. Here we have listed 3 different types of medical gowns. Keep reading further to explore them. 

- Non-surgical gowns:

Non surgical gowns are designed to protect the wearer from low to moderate risk of contamination. But these medical professionals need more than just their regular clothes to protect themselves from any kind of contamination. These cannot protect you against the contamination caused during surgery, so you need to make sure that you do not wear them during any surgery. These have fluid resistance material to help you protect against infections. 

- Coveralls:

Coveralls are gowns that are worn if the user needs a higher level of protection, especially when working with blood where there are possible chances of you getting some deadly viruses like HIV. These are plastic gowns that are waterproof and also repel fluids. These are worn over the normal clothing itself. 

- Surgical and surgical isolation gowns:

Surgical and surgical isolation gowns are specially designed for medical persons while they are performing surgeries. These are worn when the chance of getting the contamination is higher. It is used to control contamination and splashes over the clothing. It protects the cuffs, elbows, and chest. 

2) Patient Gowns:

Patient gowns are the gowns that a patient wears for various medical procedures. Whether it is a routine exam or an experimental surgery, these are not designed for protection but for the medical professionals so that they can operate on the patient easily. It is like a uniform for such patients, which is required to be worn. Keep reading further to explore different kinds of patient gowns.

a) Disposable Aprons or Gowns:

Disposable gowns or disposable aprons are paper-made gowns that are used once and thrown away. These are cheaper than any other gowns as they cannot be reused. Therefore, these are bought in bulk for large hospitals, as it is required in a larger quantity. 

b) Fabric Gowns:

Fabric gowns are cotton and polyester blend gowns. These also help cut down the waste and are not paper-like but thicker than that. It helps cut down the waste and also provides more coverage to the patient’s body. It is more comfortable than the disposable ones. Therefore, they can be reused, and their cost can be cut down by using them again and again after each wash. 

c) Classic Patient Gown:

Classic patient gowns are the most used gowns. It helps provide full front coverage while the back is cut down to the middle so that any patient can easily wear it without any issues. Because the back can be adjusted according to the body type of the patient with neck and waist ties at the back, it becomes easy for them to wear it and remove it. 

d) Wrap Style:

Wrap-style gowns work better for the protection of the patients, but it is only worn by those patients that the civilians are not allowed to see or meet.  

e) IV Gowns:

IV gowns are the popular ones that help provide easy access to an IV line. The slit is left open or lined up with the snaps so that the patient can open and close the sleeves when needed. 

Conclusion:

The healthcare industry is one of the vital industries in a country. Especially after the pandemic, each country knows its medical industry's potential. And so, you need to protect yourself against contamination. The patient, as well as the doctor, needs to wear gowns. It is a compulsion for the doctors to wear it because they need to see multiple patients in a day and need to protect themselves. It is important, especially for any kind of surgery or patient examination. Gowns help them protect against contamination and also help them keep their clothes clean and dry. It also helps them avoid blood splashes, and the specially designed gowns are also helpful to spot the blood stains on the gowns, if any.