In addition to the normal hygiene cleanliness processing standards that hold for all healthcare textiles , reusable protective gowns must retain their wearer protective properties even after a specified number of uses and processing cycles . and last for their designed life cycle . Additionally , it will confirm that they are free of pathogens that can cause human illness . An accurate wash must always begin with a proper washer and a correct load size . It is advisable to wash protective gowns in an open pocket washer extractor ( WE ) if possible . Load sizes must match the washer capacity . Under loading or overloading will result in insufficient wash chemistry , inadequate mechanical action , and ultimately dirty gowns . Reusable protective gowns should always arrive from the manufacturer with instructions for use including wash instructions . Follow these precisely , especially chemistry , water levels , and temperature . Never use bleach or softener as these may degrade the barrier properties . Barrier chemicals that extend the protective properties of gowns can be used in the wash formula if authorized by the gown manufacturer . Always protect gowns from air , surface , or hand contamination on the journey to the dryer . Never let clean protective gowns sit in a washer for an extended period .
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Drying
Most premature damage to reusable protective gowns occurs during drying . Either the temperature is too hot , the time is too long , or there is inadequate air circulation . Most reusable protective gowns are constructed of synthetic fabrics that dry quickly and at lower temperatures ( less than 150 degrees F .). Over drying will burn or weaken fabrics causing a loss of performance . Be sure to keep dryer lint traps clean to ensure good air circulation . Keep dryer drums clean and free of nicks and cuts to prevent cutting of gowns . Often with isolation gowns and surgical gowns , ribbed sleeves will dry more slowly than synthetic barrier regions of the gown . In this case , dry longer on lower heat to make sure sleeves are dry and barrier fabric does not burn or melt . Always protect gowns from air , surface , or hand contamination on the journey from the dryer to inspection room . Never let clean and dry protective gowns sit in dryers or in an exposed area for long periods of time . Time spent unprotected means a potential risk for contamination .
Inspection
Per Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council ( HLAC ) standards ( see :
https :// www . hlacnet . org / standards ), Levels 2-4 surgical gowns must be inspected and folded in a dedicated climate controlled surgical pack assembly room . Non-surgical isolation gowns can be inspected and folded in the bulk laundry clean area . All surgical gowns must have their critical zones inspected with the use of light illumination ( e . g ., table , bar , tube , etc .) for the presence of stains , residue , physical defects , chemical or thermal damage , and foreign debris and to ensure that appropriate labels are in place and a tracking system is intact . A tracking mechanism suitable for each surgical gown must be used to track the number of uses based on the textile manufacturer ’ s recommendations . Gowns with physical defects such as tears , stains , holes , or structural weaknesses must be either repaired , rewashed or taken out of service .
Sterile or Non-Sterile Packaging & Labeling
If gowns will be worn in a setting that does not require them to be sterile , then after inspection they can be folded or packaged and placed on a clean protected cart for distribution . Most protective gowns used outside of the operating room ( OR ) ( non-surgical ) do not need to be sterile . Non-surgical Level 1 or Level 2 isolation gowns are usually used non-sterile . Conversely , protective gowns used in a surgical setting must be sterile . Sterilization of gown packs can happen either at the laundry or at the hospital , therefore , they must be folded and packaged for sterilization after inspection . The barrier product used to complete the pack and provide adequate coverage of the contents must be appropriate for the method of sterilization and must protect the contents from contamination after sterilization . The finished pack and bulk loose textiles must be packaged in a suitable material ( e . g ., placed in covered carts or wrapped in plastic ) to avoid contamination during transport to the customer .
The many benefits of reusable protective gowns are undisputable . They are more cost effective , more comfortable , leave a smaller environmental footprint and produce better outcomes for patients and clinical practitioners , to name a few . But it is imperative that they are processed correctly to function as designed . COVID-19 has highlighted many of the risks of relying on fragile supply chains where disposable products are manufactured thousands of miles from the end-user in factories with suspect quality practices . As a result , is easy to understand why an unprecedented number of healthcare organizations have converted to reusable protective gowns .
Gregory Gicewicz is distinguished in the reusable textile industry as a tireless advocate for increasing awareness of the significant role that having high standards in the processing of healthcare laundry plays in broader infection prevention strategy . He is president and CEO of Sterile Surgical Systems , a full-service accredited healthcare laundry and reusable sterile surgical textile pack manufacturer . He is past president of the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council ( HLAC ), currently serves as HLAC inspection committee chair , and led a committee that developed the HLAC Laundry Process Monitoring Toolkit .
www . healthcarehygienemagazine . com • december 2020
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