Where to buy hospital gowns in Canada?
Hospital gowns are a necessary item in all health care settings in Canada, both for patients and for doctors and nurses. Not only this, but they are worn constantly so it is very important to buy the right gowns. So, in this article we bring you a guide to buy the best hospital gowns in Canada.
What are hospital gowns?
Hospital gowns are part of the personal protective equipment (PPE) established by the European Union in 1986 to prevent contamination of both professionals and patients and to serve as a barrier against body fluids and other potentially infectious materials.
Because they are part of the PPE determined by the Canadian government, there are certain regulations that must be followed to manufacture a hospital gown. On Canada’s official website you can check the specifications of an approved medical gown.
Unlike other personal protective equipment, this is used not only by the physicians who are providing the health service, but also by patients and even visitors. Hospital gowns are disposable and should be disposed of with toxic waste.
Types of hospital gowns
With this in mind, there are two basic types of hospital gowns: medical gowns and patient gowns. Here we explain the specifications of each of these.
Hospital gown for health professionals
Thus, a medical gown usually has greater protection due to the fact that they interact and deal directly with patients. These levels and their characteristics are established by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), which was founded in 1965 to determine international standards for medical instrumentation.
Level 1 medical gowns are used in routine examinations because there are not many fluids involved in these processes. Level 2 hospital gowns are the most frequently used and are the preferred nursing hospital gowns as they are perfect for their daily work: blood drawing, IV replacement, suturing and laboratory work.
Level 3 and 4 gowns are used by healthcare professionals in procedures with high fluid content, e.g., emergency room care, trauma cases and surgeries, they can also be used as nursing hospital gowns if they are assisting in the indicated procedures.
It should also be noted that medical gowns are not “knitted” because this would cause fluids to seep through the gown. Thus, special heat machines are used to bind the fabrics together evenly and ensure that the hospital gowns are effective in protecting doctors and nurses.
Hospital gown for patients
Then, there are the patient gowns that you have probably worn at some point and wondered how to put on a hospital gown. Hospital gowns in Canada for patients are also commonly used and, in addition to protection they allow doctors to have easy access to different parts of an individual’s body.
There are disposable paper and cloth gowns, which, unlike hospital gowns for nurses and doctors that are made of spunbond-meltblown-spunbond polypropylene, are made of paper or polyester.
A frequently asked question, as we have already indicated, is how to put on a hospital gown or why they have an opening in the back. Thus, a hospital gown for simple procedures has coverage in the front and ties at the neck or waist. The opening is used to make it easy to remove and perform the necessary examinations.
It is also possible that, as a patient, you may be asked to wear a special gown for IV lines. These have openings in the arms to keep the IV line from moving and make it easier to replace the IV line.
What should you consider when buying hospital gowns in Canada?
In addition to complying with the indicated regulations, you should take other factors into account if you wish to purchase hospital gowns for nurses, doctors and patients.
First of all, you should think about what procedures are performed in your healthcare services. Thus, a dental clinic needs level 2 protective equipment as there is a possibility of fluid transfer even in routine examinations. On the other hand, if your clinic does not perform surgical procedures there is no need to buy level 4 hospital gowns.
Second, there are disposable and reusable medical gowns. Reusable ones are useful if your clinic offers hospitalization services, while disposable ones are the most common and necessary in most healthcare settings. Disposable hospital gowns are better to avoid contamination and prevent infection or other diseases, and are really necessary for healthcare providers.
You should also take into account if your patients usually have intravenous lines because if so, it will be necessary to acquire isolation gowns that have the appropriate openings so as not to move them, not only because it can hurt the patient and stop the fluids in the intravenous line but also because, when one of these is lifted, bleeding can occur.
In addition, you should consider how often you perform procedures that require a change of a hospital gown. This will determine the number of hospital gowns you need each month for your clinic.
Once you are clear about all these characteristics, you must find a supplier that meets the conditions of the Canadian government. We recommend Divocco Medical, which allows you to place your orders online and organize regular deliveries so that you never run out of the hospital gowns you need in your clinic. They are also designed by certified physicians who ensure that the medical gowns will meet the necessary criteria.
