How PPE can stop the spread

Personal protective equipment is specifically designed to keep a user safe. The definition of this will vary dependent on the scenario. In the case of the healthcare sector, PPE is created with the express intent of stemming the flow of infectious diseases.

Introduction to Hospital viruses
How PPE can stop the spread
Mistakes to avoid
Secondary sources & FAQs
2.A

Types of medical PPE

It’s important to ensure you’re selecting appropriate PPE in your efforts to keep hospital patients and staff safe. While a face mask might work perfectly to shield you in an industrial environment, it will do very little to stop the spread of MRSA or other potentially deadly viruses. When thinking about the kind of protection you’ll need from a healthcare perspective, there are three primary areas which experts suggest you focus on.

Gloves

In their base form, these gloves keep substances which are potentially dangerous off of a person’s hands. In turn, this will prevent the spread of an infection.  

There are two types of glove which are used in hospitals:

Sterile

These are the preferred option when someone is forced to reach out and make physical contact with a site which is susceptible to contamination. This includes smaller wounds.

Non-sterile

In order to prevent a wearer’s hands from becoming too heavily infected with micro-organisms, these types of gloves should be used. Non-sterile options are the preferred method when dealing with high levels of blood and other bodily fluids.

Aside from these medical variances, there’s also a difference when it comes to the types of materials which gloves are made of. Some of the most common types include:

Latex

This option is very close-fitting, providing a barrier against germs. A risk here comes in the form of a potential latex allergy. It’s for this reason alternative materials are available.

Nitrile

While similar to latex, nitrile gloves provide slightly less elasticity. With far fewer people suffering allergic reactions to the material, it’s becoming more commonly used in hospitals.

Neoprene

These will be used when a latex-free option is required, but an additional level of movement is needed. The most common use for gloves made from this flexible material is surgery.

How to use gloves properly
  • Put on gloves immediately before a task begins, and remove them as soon as it ends.
  • Wash, clean and dry hands before gloves are worn.
  • Repeat this process as soon as gloves have been removed.

Aprons

These are designed to keep uniforms safe from contamination. Plastic aprons will usually be enough to provide protection against hazardous substances. However, in more severe circumstances, a fluid-repellent gown would need to be worn. The difference in gown types will be determined by what job is required of them.

Surgical gowns

These are made of fluid-resistant substances and are measured from the chest down to the knees. They will be used for any invasive surgeries where there’s a chance infection might occur.

Surgical isolation gowns

These are very similar to surgical gowns, but are only used in extreme circumstances. They cover everything except binding, cuffs and hems.

Non-surgical gowns

Gowns of this variety are worn through the hospital in general use. They often cut off at the knee and neck, and can be worn by both patients and doctors alike.

How to use aprons and gowns properly
  • Store them in a clean area on wall-mounted storage units.
  • Aprons also need to be changed between seeing different patients (sometimes even the same ones if you’ve spent a long time with them).
  • Gowns and aprons should be discarded immediately after use.

Masks

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that masks are intended to protect your face and mouth from becoming contaminated. When it comes to a hospital environment, there are two types of masks which can be used.

Surgical masks

These are relatively simple in design, and will only cover your mouth and nose area to protect against basic splashes and droplets reaching your face.

Respirator masks

Designed to prevent airborne infection, these masks are most often used
in situations where there’s a chance disease will be able to spread through the
atmosphere. These will only be required around patients who’re suffering from a
particularly viral disease.

How to use masks correctly
  • A device needs to sit tightly around the nose and mouth of the wearer.
  • Before being used, masks should be kept in their original packaging.
  • In the case of respirator masks, the seal needs to be checked before application
    to the face.
2.B

PPE regulations in Hospitals

Just as with anything, there are rules which govern the use of PPE in hospitals.  These checks should be carried out prior to the equipment arriving at a medical centre.

Recent changes to regulations have seen a slight shift in what’s required from importers and distributors. They face new obligations, which mean:

  • Only compliant PPE products can be placed on the market.
  • The appropriate conformity assessment procedures have been followed.
  • If the item has a fault, it won’t be distributed – and the manufacturer of the product should be informed of a problem.
  • Importers need to ensure while a product is under their care (in storage or transport) its condition is not jeopardised.
  • Importers should include their registered trade name and postal address.

There are also a series of documentation which both distributors and importers need to provide. These include:

  • A copy of the Manufacturers Module B EU Type Examination Certificate (and a copy of the Module C or D certificates if available).
  • A declaration of conformity for the individual product.
  • User instructions in the correct language.

It’s also important to be ready to hold onto records for as much as 10 years. While these changes are general to the PPE industry as a whole, they’ll also have an impact on the medical sector. For a full understanding of the 2018 changes to PPE regulations, be sure to check out Safetec Direct’s guide to what’s new.