Abstract
Consumers’ attitude toward hygiene and active lifestyle stimulate the research about the
various infectious and viruses like SARS, HIV, and Hepatitis etc. Healthcare professionals
and associations are making it mandatory to use protective surgical gowns and drapes as the
barriers to microbial transfer and the blood-borne pathogenic substances through body fluids.
These diseases, which may be caused by a variety of microorganism, can pose significant
risks to human life and health.
To address the issue, it was intended to procure commercially available disposable and
reusable operating garments and study their structure, finishing processes and performance
aspects for their use as Operating Room Garments (OR). The R & B Micrometer was used
for measuring the thickness of the fabric samples. The tensile strength and abrasion tests were
carried out using the Instron Testing Machine 4303 and Nu-Martindale 864 abrasion and
pilling tester, respectively. Furthermore, Martindale abraded samples were analysed as
generated images by using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The thermophysiological
properties were measured by Alambeta Thermal Parameter Evaluator, and water vapour
permeability and resistance to evaporation heat loss of the fabrics sample were measured by
PermaTest equipment. The Absorption Capacity and Wicking were also measured. The
Shirley Hydro-head pressure was used to measure the resistance of gown and drape to
splashing or spraying fluids penetration.
Commercial samples of OR garments were procured and tested using the various techniques
and procedures mentioned above. The manufacturers of the OR materials claim that these
products can deliver high levels of protection against viruses and reduce the risk of Hospital
Acquired Infections (HAI). However, the results of our study show that the disposable OR
garments obtained from Ahlstrom were not user-friendly from some aspects of medical
professionals and patients. Furthermore the characteristics of the durable OR garments were
quite similar to the conventional garments, as they did not contain any special functional
finishes to enhance their performance. These garments cannot be considered as user-friendly
for the operating room applications.