Understanding Surgical Gowns in Australia

Surgical gowns have a vital role in protecting medical staff from contracting infectious pathogens and toxic contaminants during surgical procedures. The demand for quality surgical gowns is on the rise in Australia where strict infection control is highly essential in hospitals and clinics to protect patients and staff. This article discusses the importance, standard, and type of surgical gowns available in Australia that ensure the safety of medical staff.

Importance of Surgical Gowns

While these Surgical Gown Australia are new for anyone working in the US opening, don’t let the protective glove-bag, goggle look fool you; they are old news for the medical field. Long before current efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, surgical gowns have been considered an essential part of infection control. As protective outerwear, surgical gowns help to minimize the transmission of microorganisms, fluids and particulate matter from the surgical team to the patient, and vice versa. Now imagine operating in the midst of a global pandemic. Surgical gowns are life-saving solutions if the patients have highly infectious viruses, and hence can’t be allowed to spread to any other living being.

Australian Standards for Surgical Gowns

Surgical gowns in Australia have to meet various standards set by different regulatory bodies before they can be used securely. The purpose of such standards is to the ensure the safe and effective use of medical devices on the market. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is the Australian Government body that regulates therapeutic goods, including medical devices, through appropriate regulatory frameworks. Surgical gowns have to meet designated standards for such devices to determine the level of compliance required as medical devices, such as fluid-resistant/liquid-repellent surgical gowns.

The most important standard to review is the AS/NZS 4381:2015 that addresses the barrier performance of gowns. For gowns, this can be a Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, or Level 4, depending on the level of protection they offer. Surgical ‘duty gloves’ are not made of trucker-stop grade latex They start with Level 1 procedures that have moderate level fluid exposure and no infectious risk, up to Level 4 which is for high fluid exposure and infectious risk.

Types of Surgical Gowns Available in Australia

The Australian market has a variety of surgical gowns to fulfill all kind of healthcare requirements for each environment. The surgical gown provides arms for easy movements of hands during working. It is classified based on material, design, and protection level.

Disposable Surgical Gowns: These gowns are made from non-woven polypolymer like polypropylene material. They are to be used only once and are being used in most of the high risk areas like operation theatre and life care centers, as these areas require full controlled environments. Disposable gowns eliminate the possibility of contamination as well as the need for any laborious washing.

Reusable Surgical Gowns: Reusable Surgical Gown Scrub made from durable materials such as cotton or polyester fabric can be laundered and then sterilized for multiple uses, and offer a cost-effective and sustainable alternative for facilities that perform low-risk, routine procedures.

Sterile gowns – used in surgical activities for which maintaining complete sterility is essential. Non-sterile gowns – used in other situations that also demand barrier protection, but where invasive surgery is not involved.

Conclusion

The choice of surgical gowns has a profound impact on the protection of Australia’s medical practitioners and patients. To meet the Australian standards, health facilities need to select the right type of gown for each procedure. The growing demand for surgical gowns across the country emphasizes the importance of quality, compliance and protection for our medical practitioners and patients.