Protective gowns and gloves that don't properly fit. More sizes need to be available.
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The researchers, led by Dr. Myreen Tomas of the Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, recruited these volunteers from four hospitals in the Cleveland area. The workers put on “contact isolation gowns” and nitrile gloves, then were given half a milliliter of a fluorescent lotion that glowed under a black light — a stand-in for invisible pathogens. They were asked to rub the lotion on their gloved hands for 15 seconds, then wipe their hands over their gowns. After that, they got a clean pair of gloves.
Next, the volunteers were asked to remove their gowns and gloves the way they normally would. When they were done, the researchers used the black light to see if any lotion was left behind.
The hospital workers got the lotion on their clothes and skin 38% of the time when they took off their gowns and 53% of the time when they took off their gloves. Overall, the average “contamination” rate was 46%.
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Part of the solution is to make sure healthcare workers get better training on how to put on their gowns and gloves, and how to take them off, the study authors wrote. But training can do only so much.
Perhaps workers should disinfect their gowns and gloves before they take them off, either with bleach or possibly ultraviolet C light.
Ultimately, the best solution may be to redesign personal protective equipment so that it’s easier to remove without contaminating oneself, the study authors wrote.
That won’t happen overnight, but some improvements might be easy to make. For instance, hospitals could provide gowns in a variety of sizes instead of relying on a one-size-fits-all approach. The researchers noted that in their observations, workers who were either petite, tall or large had more trouble removing their gowns safely.
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The researchers, led by Dr. Myreen Tomas of the Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, recruited these volunteers from four hospitals in the Cleveland area. The workers put on “contact isolation gowns” and nitrile gloves, then were given half a milliliter of a fluorescent lotion that glowed under a black light — a stand-in for invisible pathogens. They were asked to rub the lotion on their gloved hands for 15 seconds, then wipe their hands over their gowns. After that, they got a clean pair of gloves.
Next, the volunteers were asked to remove their gowns and gloves the way they normally would. When they were done, the researchers used the black light to see if any lotion was left behind.
The hospital workers got the lotion on their clothes and skin 38% of the time when they took off their gowns and 53% of the time when they took off their gloves. Overall, the average “contamination” rate was 46%.
DELETED
Part of the solution is to make sure healthcare workers get better training on how to put on their gowns and gloves, and how to take them off, the study authors wrote. But training can do only so much.
Perhaps workers should disinfect their gowns and gloves before they take them off, either with bleach or possibly ultraviolet C light.
Ultimately, the best solution may be to redesign personal protective equipment so that it’s easier to remove without contaminating oneself, the study authors wrote.
That won’t happen overnight, but some improvements might be easy to make. For instance, hospitals could provide gowns in a variety of sizes instead of relying on a one-size-fits-all approach. The researchers noted that in their observations, workers who were either petite, tall or large had more trouble removing their gowns safely.