Question

reusing gowns when going to covid19 is unsafe, this can lead to cross contamination from patient to patient--- discuss

Answer 1

1) ans )

Most personal protective equipment (PPE) is designed for single use, but in situations where supply is limited, extended use (continued use between patients without doffing when providing
care to patients infected with the same pathogen) and reuse may be considered.

✓Gowns are recommended for the care of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients by the CDC20 , the World Health Organization (WHO), and Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) for contact
precautions. Reprocessing of disposable gowns is impractical due to the inability to launder, remove contamination and maintain integrity, prevent cross contamination also.

 These recommends cloth gowns be laundered after each use. A combination of mechanical,thermal, and chemical factors results in the antimicrobial action of the laundering process –protocols may vary.

 The CDC cites easy breakage of disposable gown ties and fasteners, making them less amenable
to washing and reuse than reusable gowns. When disposable gowns are in short supply, they
suggest a number of alternatives, e.g., extended use of gowns; using reusable (washable)
patient gowns and laboratory coats.
 PPE designed for reuse (e.g. elastomeric respirators) is a safe alternative to single-use PPE.
Cleaning and disinfection of the product must follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use.
 Expired stockpiles of single-use PPE (e.g. masks, N95 respirators), if available and intact, are
preferable to decontaminating single-use PPE.
 If reuse is considered, it should not occur without adequate disinfection processes.
Contamination of respirator surfaces is common, and doffing or re-donning of the same
respirator without adequate disinfection may result in infection transmission.
 Disinfection and reuse of disposable PPE for reuse (N95 respirators) may be possible, but the
processes used may compromise the integrity of the product and impact its effectiveness.
Considerable logistical issues need to be considered for this approach to be feasible.

?Could you please thumb up if answer was helpful ?