Laundering single-use gowns in the event of critical shortage: experience of a UK acute trust

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in unprecedented global use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect healthcare workers (HCWs). In the UK, gowns were recommended for all patient care until the infection was downgraded from a high-consequence infectious disease by Public Health England (PHE) on 19th March 2020 [1]; subsequently, gowns were advised as ‘airborne PPE’ for aerosol-generating procedures, and in high-risk areas such as critical care [2]. Although elective surgery diminished, reduction in gown use from theatres was outstripped by surge elsewhere; over 126,000 patients were admitted across the UK by 9th July 2020 [3], with approximately 17% needing admission to critical care settings [4].