Can Medical Patient Gowns Be Reused on Patients?

Can Medical Patient Gowns Be Reused on Patients

Medical patient gowns, as the name suggests, a gown made for patients that they need to wear during their surgery or during their hospital stays after surgery. However, most of the patients don’t like to wear this boring gown and always fear whether the gown that is given to them is new or has already been used by other patients.

And this worry of patients is not unnecessary as there are several hospitals and nursing homes who reuse patient gowns. But is it ok to reuse hospital patients gown? This blog can give you the correct answer.

Are Hospital Gowns for Patients Reusable?

Is it safe to reuse patients gown in hospital? Well, there are several conflicting opinions exist for this question. While some think that these gowns should never be reused after one single use, others believe that it is ok to reuse patients gown if they are washed and maintained well. However, the possibility and safety to reuse the hospital gown vary as per the fabric type also. Healthcare centres who use Disposable gowns should never ever repeat using them on other patients or even on the same patient also. On the other hand, patients gown made from cotton, linen, polyster, are safe for reusing. Why this variation? Find the answer below.

1. Disposable Gowns Can’t Be Washed or Cleaned

Disposable gowns have non-woven materials like polypropylene and polyethylene, which are not for washing and cleaning in any way. And if a patient wears an already used but unwashed disposable gown, there will be an increased chance of infection. This will happen because the bodily fluid and germ of the previous patient who used the gown before might stay on the gown, which will come into contact with other patients when reused. This is why it is very much risky to reuse disposable patients gown.

2. Cotton and Linen Gowns Are Washable

The main reason why the cotton and linen hospital gowns for patients are considered as reusable gowns is that these gowns can be washed and sanitized properly. Also, gowns made of cotton and linen are very durable in nature and cannot get damaged even after several washes. So, these patient gowns can last long and can be reused for years without any chances of damage.

How to Reuse Medical Patients Gown Safely?

It is not right to reuse the patient gown on other patients immediately after one patient takes it off, as this can cause infection and more serious illness. Here are some best and correct ways to reuse hospital gowns for patients.

1. Maintain Proper Laundry and Santization

Don’t be casual with the washing and cleaning of the medical patients gowns. Search for a standard laundry service provider who can clean and wash each and every gown with a specialized technique and make sure there is no dirt or bodily fluid on the gown. Washing is not enough. You have to sanitize all the used gowns to make them germ-free before giving them to other patients for reuse.

2. Daily Cleaning Is Necessary

Clean and sanitize the used gowns on daily basis to make sure no patients are getting a dirty or sweaty gown even for a single day. This will keep the patients germ-free and fully hygienic, no matter how many times they will reuse the same gown. You should also need to wash the gowns frequently after every use also.

3. Dry Them

Make sure the gowns are completely dry after the wash. Even a slightly wet hospital gown can cause discomfort and infection in patients.

4. Store Them Safely

To maintain hygiene and prevent the spread of infection, you should keep the used but unwashed medical gowns isolated from other clean staff before they are sent to the laundry. Once the cleaning and washing are done, keep the cleaned gowns in a dry and clean place away from direct sunlight or away from the places where there is any chance of contamination.

5. Do Close Visual Inspection

Examine the entire gown very closely before giving it to patients for reuse to make sure you don’t overlook any damage, stain or anything else in it.

6. Avoid Touching

Tell your patients as well as doctors and other staff in your healthcare sector not to touch the outer surface of the gowns again and again with dirty or wet hands. Even doctors with unwashed gloves soaked with blood or other bodily fluids of patients also should not touch the patient gowns to maintain hygiene.

Final Words

If you think it’s time to replace the old patients gown in your hospitals or you don’t feel it’s right to reuse them again and again, buy some new set of medical gowns for patients from PNAK India. We provide not only premium quality but also 100% clean, fresh and fully hygienic medical patients gown online at affordable rates.