The relationship of selected fabric characteristics and the barrier effectiveness of surgical gown fabrics

Background: Relationships between selected fabric characteristics and the barrier effectiveness of surgical gown fabrics to liquid strike-through and bacterial transmission were examined. Methods: Eight commercially available surgical gowns were evaluated in this study. Five of the gowns were disposable and were produced from nonwoven fabrics. Three of the gowns were reusable and were produced from woven fabrics. Standard test methods were used to evaluate the fabrics. Fabric characteristics evaluated included thickness, weight, pore size, and oil and water repellency. Yarn count was determined for the woven fabrics to establish the number of yarns per inch in both the warp (lengthwise) and fill (crosswise) fabric direction. Resistance of the fabrics to the penetration of microorganism suspensions under a hydrostatic pressure was determined. Microorganisms used in this study were Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Scanning electron micrographs are presented to illustrate differences among fabrics. Results: Results of this study showed that fabric characteristics of construction, repellency, and pore size contributed to gown performance. Liquid strike-through was not always accompanied by bacterial transmission. Conclusions: Higher fabric repellency ratings and smaller pore size generally corresponded with higher barrier properties.