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Use Personal Protective Equipment
It is important for healthcare professionals to properly wear personal protective equipment (PPE). Learn about the different types of PPE and how to wear them.
Gloves
Plastic Gloves prevent contamination of healthcare professionals’ hands and help reduce the spread of pathogens only if:
They are used properly; and
Hand hygiene is performed before and after wear.
It’s important to know that gloves do not provide complete protection from hand contamination. That’s why hand hygiene is so important before and after glove use!
The World Health Organization recommends that you clean your hands and put gloves on:
Before a sterile procedure
When you think you’ll come in contact with blood or another bodily fluid
When you’re going to care for a patient during contact precautions
Take gloves off and clean your hands:
As soon as gloves are damaged or punctured
When your contact with blood or bodily fluid has ended
When your contact with a single patient and his/her surroundings has ended
When there is a need for hand hygiene
Gowns
Disposable Gowns are classified by their ability to withstand penetration by blood or body fluids. Gowns used in healthcare settings are defined and classified by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation.
An isolation gown is a non-sterile gown used to keep clothing from getting contaminated. These are fluid resistant enough to keep body fluids away from clothing for a short period of time. Used for care of patients on contact precautions and for splash-generating procedures. May be disposable or non-disposable.
A procedure gown is a non-sterile, usually disposable gown that may be fluid resistant or fluid impermeable, depending on the amount of body fluids involved in the procedure. Some examples where impermeable gowns should be worn include during endoscopy or assisting in vaginal birth.
Masks and respirators
When worn correctly, Disposable Face Masks and N95 respirators protect you from droplets and particles that could be infectious.
A procedure mask (also called an isolation mask) is a disposable mask that protects the wearer from droplets that might be infectious. A version of this mask with a built-in face shield to protect against splashes is also available.
An N95 respirator is a tight-fitting cover that when properly fitted to the face protects the wearer from very small particles that float in the air, such as TB, measles, and chickenpox. An N95 respirator is intended to provide more protection than a procedure mask.
Aprons
Microbial contaminants found on the work clothing of health professionals are a significant factor in cases of healthcare-associated infections (Wilson et al, 2007). Disposable, single-use plastic Disposable Aprons are therefore recommended for general clinical use when close contact with the patient, materials or equipment may lead to contamination of uniforms or other clothing with microorganisms, or when there is a risk of contamination with blood or bodily fluids. If there is the possibility of extensive splashing of blood or bodily fluids onto the skin or clothes of health professionals, fluid-repellent full-body gowns should be worn (Loveday et al, 2014).
Apron selection
In England, apron selection is to be based on the procedure or task being undertaken. A colour coding system is used:
Yellow – when cleaning isolation areas;
Blue – when undertaking general cleaning, including wards and basins in public areas;
Red – when cleaning bathrooms, washrooms, toilets, basins and bathroom floors;
Green – when working in catering departments, ward kitchen areas and patient food service at ward level (National Patient Safety Agency, 2007). Local policies should be consulted.
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