
Risk Prevention
Reduce the risk of surgical wound infections with disposable surgical gowns
Disposable surgical clothing reduces risks in the OR.
To minimize the risk of transferring germs in operating rooms, sterile covering of patients, their surrounding spaces and the use of sterile surgical clothing are, taken together, fundamental safety measures, regardless of the nature of the surgery. Given their preponderant role in protecting against infection, drapes and surgical clothing are legally considered as medical devices, with production and quality tested, subject to the European Standard EN 13795.
Indicator
Different surgeries have different risks of infection. Long and complex surgeries, involving high amounts of blood and fluid irrigation, carry a greater risk, although the risk is lower, but still present, in shorter surgeries where large amounts of body fluids are not expected. Even with careful respect for hygiene standards and routine use of antibiotic prophylaxis, surgical site infection occurs in approximately 1-5% of elective surgical procedures. For affected patients, this means a prolongation of their pain and their functional limitations – even if there are no more serious consequences.
Patient care and health economics
In hospital health economics, minimizing infection is essentially about addressing patient care, but also considering this pertinent issue.
There are international studies that reveal that the additional period of hospitalization required to treat postoperative infections in surgery represents a decisive cost factor.
Single use vs. reusable materials
The material used in surgical drapes and clothing also reveals aspects of health economics. Materials such as those mentioned above are made of non-woven fabric and selected over reusable textiles, due to their safety and the high level of protection against infection associated. Although the most important reasons, another benefit is that single-use devices remove the complex reprocessing of cost-intensive reusable textile systems.
Medical devices are classified into two performance levels: high performance and standard performance. Surgical dressings and garments can be tailored exactly to the specific requirements of a surgery in terms of product quality and design. This flexibility allows hospitals to choose: safe, cost-effective, standard-performance surgical coverage for low-risk surgery; and surgical gowns suitable for high-risk surgeries involving large amounts of body fluids.
Single-use and reusable devices must meet the same safety standards as those applied to reusable products throughout their entire lifecycle. Its production and quality tested are subject to the European Standard EN 13795. The most important test methods relate to the material properties essential for reliable protection against infection: Particle release (ISO 9073-10), resistance to penetration of liquids (European Standard EN 20811) and wet microbial penetration (European Standard EN ISO 22610).