What is medical protective clothing?
Medical protective clothing, also known as medical protective suit, disposable protective coverall, or antivirus suit. Medical protective clothing refers to the protective clothing used by medical personnel (doctors, nurses, public health personnel, cleaners, etc.) and people entering a specific health areas (such as patients, hospital visitors, persons entering the infected area, etc.). Medical protective clothing has good moisture permeability and barrier, has the function of resisting the penetration of alcohol, blood, body fluid, air dust particles, and bacterial virus, effectively protect the safety of personnel and keep the environment clean.
The role of medical protective clothing
medical protective clothing is commonly used in health care settings such as hospitals, doctor's offices and clinical labs. When used properly, PPE acts as a barrier between infectious materials such as viral and bacterial contaminants and your skin, mouth, nose, or eyes (mucous membranes). The barrier has the potential to block transmission of contaminants from blood, body fluids, or respiratory secretions. PPE may also protect patients who are at high risk for contracting infections through a surgical procedure or who have a medical condition, such as, an immunodeficiency, from being exposed to substances or potentially infectious material brought in by visitors and healthcare workers. When used properly and with other infection control practices such as hand-washing, using alcohol-based hand sanitizers, and covering coughs and sneezes, it minimizes the spread of infection from one person to another. Effective use of PPE includes properly removing and disposing of contaminated PPE to prevent exposing both the wearer and other people to infection.
What are the categories of medical protective clothing.
Medical protective clothing is a combination of hats, tops, and trousers. There are two kinds of medical protective clothing: isolation gown and protective clothing. The main difference between medical protective clothing and isolation gown is that medical protective clothing is more durable than isolation clothing, the protection grade is higher, the protection performance is better, the protection purpose and the protection principle of them are different.
The personal protective equipment (PPE) protects a person against a specific hazard or numerous hazards which can affect his/her safety and health. The personal protective equipment products, launched onto the EU market, must hold declaration of conformity EC according to the directive 89/686/EEC. The PPE is divided into three groups. A criterion of the classification is a level of the risk against which the user is to be protected by the PPE.
1.Category I: products of simple structure, used in a low-risk environment. The user is able to independently assess the PPE protection effectiveness.
2.Category II: products protecting against hazards which can cause injuries. The hazard for injury is determined as “not very low and not very high”.
3.Category III: products of complex structure, protecting in the situations of serious or permanent hazard which can affect the user’s life and health.
What are the common raw materials of medical protective clothing.
The common materials used in disposable medical protective clothing are polypropylene textile adhesive fabric, new polyester fiber, polymer coated fabric, SMS nonwovens, polyethylene breathable film/nonwoven composite. At present, most of them use polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) material to make medical protective clothing, PTFE is a kind of high-performance polymer, which cannot only resist water pressure but also discharge water vapor through micropores. The related properties of these materials are as follows:
1.Polypropylene Fabric
The material can go through antibacterial, antistatic treatment, but the hydrostatic pressure resistance is relatively low, the efficiency of blocking virus particles is poor, can only be used as sterile surgical clothing, disinfection bag cloth, and other general protective articles.
2.New Polyester Fiber
It close to the traditional textiles that can be treated with antistatic, antibacterial, antistatic and so on, but the hydrostatic pressure resistance is relatively low, and the efficiency of bocking virus particles is low.
3.Polymer Coated Fabric
There are many kinds of coatings for protective fabrics, such as PVC, polyethylene and so on. The waterproof, barrier bacteria of this kind of protective clothing is good, it can be reused, but the moisture permeability is poor and uncomfortable. The high-end laminated fabric is PTFE, super waterproof and moisture permeable composite fabric.
4.SMS Nonwovens
The fiber diameter is fine, the cloth is fluffy, soft and drapey, the filter resistance is a small and good effect, the hydrostatic pressure resistance is good, but the strength is low and the wear resistance is poor.
5.Polyethylene Breathable Film
Nonwoven composites, which have a good effect on blocking the penetration of bacteria and liquid, good tensile strength, good air permeability, and comfortable wearing.
The benefits of protective clothing
1.Prevent injury from harmful bacteria and corrosives
If you’re working with chemicals, it is imperative to wear full PPE from goggles to gloves. Harmful and corrosive substances, particularly liquids, can be very dangerous if spilled or leaking occurs; often resulting in splashes which can be life-altering when contact is made with the skin or eyes. When working in an environment that aims to control harmful bacteria such as a clinical lab or a hospital, PPE acts as a barrier between infectious materials that can cause illness and damage to the skin. In these environments, protective clothing is vital.
2.Prevent injury from harmful bacteria and corrosives
If you’re working with chemicals, it is imperative to wear full PPE from goggles to gloves. Harmful and corrosive substances, particularly liquids, can be very dangerous if spilled or leaking occurs; often resulting in splashes which can be life-altering when contact is made with the skin or eyes. When working in an environment that aims to control harmful bacteria such as a clinical lab or a hospital, PPE acts as a barrier between infectious materials that can cause illness and damage to the skin. In these environments, protective clothing is vital.
3.prevent the spread of virus and bacteria through aerosol.
4.safe and voncenient to use, can effectively protect the wearer from the threat of infection
5.connection structure, reasonable structure, easy to wear, zipper closure, strong and tight joint