More than half of disposable gowns miss standards
- August 21, 2024
- Posted by: Web workers
- Category: Workers Comp
More than half of disposable gowns used to protect health care workers from COVID-19 and other exposures fail to meet necessary protection standards, according to a study released Tuesday by nonprofit Emergency Care Resource Institute.
Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania-based ECRI, an organization that advises the health care industry on product safety, found that more than half of gowns that claimed to exceed minimum barrier performance requirements as set by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation failed to meet those standards. ECRI also found that 52% of gowns that did not advertise AAMI compliance failed to provide even minimum levels of protection.
ECRI has issued a hazard alert to health care organizations over its concerns about sourcing disposable gowns from suppliers outside of the U.S. or nontraditional suppliers.
“As we have seen first-hand, manufacturer test reports or certificates are not a guarantee that these gowns are safe and effective,” said Michael Argentieri, vice president for technology and safety at ECRI. “We are advising our members against purchasing gowns that do not adequately protect healthcare workers, especially during the pandemic.”
More insurance and workers compensation news on the coronavirus crisis here.
