Abstract
BACKGROUND: Exposure to patients' blood/body fluids could be life-affecting, when providing care to patients with infectious diseases. Although the glove-gown interface is considered one of the weakest points of the protective ensemble system, there is a lack of research and existing standards do not provide much guidance on the strategies to minimize gaps between the gowns and gloves. Currently, there is no known standard test method to evaluate fluid leakage or assess performance improvements with new gowns/gloves. STUDY DESIGN: A novel test method with a robotic arm, which has the capability to simulate healthcare personnel's arm movements during fluid exposures, was developed to determine the leakage at the glove-gown interface. This paper explains the test method and investigates the effect of movement, exposure type, exposure duration, procedure duration, and existence of pressure on the amount of leaked fluid at the glove-gown interface. RESULTS: Test results suggest that, with the exception of procedure duration, all parameters significantly affected the amount of fluid leaked at the glove-gown interface. Leakage was higher for soaking when compared to spraying, increased as the exposure duration increased, and was greater with the application of pressure. CONCLUSIONS: The novel method developed in this study could be used by manufacturers of personal protective equipment to evaluate their products. Standard development organizations could adapt this test method in their specifications, testing standards, and guidelines.
