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Disposable or reusable?
It sounds like a simple choice, but selecting gowns for healthcare environments involves much more than deciding whether a gown gets discarded or sent to the laundry.
In Episode 2 of the Infection Control Exchange series on healthcare gowns, Wayne Tucker explores the differences between disposable and reusable gowns and the infection prevention, operational and environmental considerations that should influence gown selection.
The discussion covers factors including barrier protection, consistent performance, laundering and reprocessing, supply reliability, storage, waste generation, environmental impact, staff comfort, and the importance of matching the gown to the anticipated exposure.
The episode also explores an important principle: there isn't necessarily one gown—or one gown system—that is right for every healthcare environment.
Effective PPE programs require organizations to consider the procedure being performed, anticipated exposure, required level of protection and the systems needed to ensure that protection remains reliable from one use to the next.
Topics include:
- Disposable versus reusable gowns
- Infection prevention considerations
- Barrier protection and gown performance
- Laundering and quality assurance
- Supply-chain resilience
- Healthcare waste and sustainability
- Staff comfort and usability
- Matching gown selection to risk
- Why healthcare organizations may benefit from a mixed approach
🎙️ Infection Control Exchange
