OR gowns

[kristen38]

I am new to the OR and the hospital that I am at gives the scrub nurse the option of wearing paper or cloth gowns. I have been using the cloth gowns and find that I get really warm while scrubed. I was wondering if the paper disposable gowns are cooler. I have been told by some nurses that they are and others say they are warmer.

What do you wear at your hospital and do you find paper, disposable gowns cooler?

Thanks,

Kristen

[SandraCVRN]

It varies depending on the type gown, both cloth and paper. The more impermiable the warmer it will be. We just did away with cloth (again) but we had regular and gortex, with our paper they are labels 1 to 4, 4 beig the heaviest and most resistant to penatration by fluids.

Just try a few and see which ones YOU like the best. You are probably going to get hot no matter what you wear....good luck

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

Kristen-

Being that you are new in the OR, you will try out many different things regarding PPE and will eventually find what works for you. Although I understand that your question here is regarding which gowns are cooler-paper or cloth-don't forget to also consider the surgery you are scrubbing and what the blood loss typically is for that procedure. For example, I was scrubbing with a doc who wears the regular cloth gowns. We were doing a gamma nail, which can be messy. When he took his gown off at the end of the procedure, he had blood on his scrubs and a pretty good amount of it. I work with another surgeon in vascular who insists on wearing liquid proof gowns. Yes, these are hot, but you will be nice and clean!

When you first start in the OR, you have to acclimate wearing PPE that covers your body, which makes you pretty warm. A cap, eye protection, a mask, gloves, a gown, shoe covers or booties all make you VERY warm. If you are not doing a burn case or a peds case, you can ask to have the temp down in the room. If you are warm, it is highly likely that everyone else in the room is warm as well, and will appreciate your asking to lower the temp. Just keep in mind which surgeries you are doing and if you are willing to take the risk of seepage when doing particularly bloody cases.

I personally love the LP gowns, and I adjust to the temp, or ask to have it lowered. I think one of the hardest things I had to deal with when I started in the OR was how warm I got wearing all of the required PPE. I have not tried the paper gowns. Any one have problems with the permeability of paper gowns?