Category: Infection Control

Head: Half Of Disposable Gowns Are Not Meeting Safety Standards

Deck: Study shows that majority of imported gowns won’t protect against COVID-19

Image: 1710688690

More than half of the disposable isolation gowns in use may be putting healthcare workers at risk to bloodborne and other pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, according to analysis by ECRI. 

The organization tested 34 models of disposable gowns from suppliers outside of the United States and found that 52 percent of gowns with unstated levels of protection failed to meet even the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation's (AAMI) lowest level for protection. ECRI also tested gowns that claimed AAMI-level protection and found that 50 percent did not meet the AAMI PB70 standard, a system for the evaluation and classification of liquid barrier performance.

With the supply chain under strain due to the coronavirus pandemic, healthcare professionals have had to seek out alternative sources of personal protective equipment (PPE). Those procuring PPE should be cautious when purchasing from unfamiliar sources, especially non-traditional and international suppliers as these are often unsafe and ineffective products. Similarly, ECRI recently found that 70 percent of the Chinese KN95 respiratory masks it tested failed to meet U.S. standards.

To download a copy of the study, click here.