Evaluation of the physical performance of disposable isolation gowns

The threat of emerging infectious diseases has highlighted the need for effective gowns to protect health care workers and patients. Although studies identified end user issues with the physical performance of gowns, the literature that evaluates the performance is scarce. This paper represents 1 of the first efforts to investigate the physical performance of a substantial set of isolation gown models in the marketplace.

Physical performance of 20 commercial and 2 experimental disposable isolation gowns was evaluated in this study. Standard test methods were used to investigate a range of properties, including thickness, weight, tensile strength, tearing strength, and seam strength.

In general, due to the differences in the fibers and methods used for the construction, large variations in the tensile, tear, and seam strength results were found. When the gowns were compared to their respective Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation PB70 protection levels, no clear trend was found between protection levels and tear strength or between protection levels and seam strength, while there was a linear relationship between gowns' Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation PB70 levels and their tensile strength. It was found that fabric construction significantly affects the physical performance of gowns.

Based on this work, a new standard, American Society of Testing and Materials International F3352, was published and has been recognized by the Food and Drug Administration. American Society of Testing and Materials International F3352 is expected to help end users in selecting the appropriate protective clothing.