THE CHALLENGES OF WEARING A PPE KIT EVERY DAY

 

Personal Protective Equipment Gowns (PPE) is a primitive shield of protection that obstructs the transmission of the virus and other infectious bacteria. However, as many organizations mandated the use of PPE kits for the employees for patient care, for example, dentists, therapists, hygienists, ophthalmologists, and other vocations involved in the healthcare industry, problems for the workers soon began. 

In multiple surveys and news reports, HCWs faced various issues with the all-day-long wear of the restricting PPE Gowns kits, including physical and mental exhaustion. Experts have suggested some ways to combat the problems, resolving the issues to a varying degree.

Things to consider when purchasing PPE isolation gowns for healthcare facilities!

PPE gowns are required for the safety of healthcare workers. They create a barrier and minimize the risk of infectious diseases by preventing contact with microorganisms and bodily fluids from infected patients. There are two different types of gowns, including surgical and nonsurgical, that healthcare facilities need to buy.  

These are usually divided into various grades as per the threat levels of infectious diseases, including minimal risk, low risk, medium risk, and high-risk. Thus, medical supply buyers need to consider various factors to buy isolation gowns.

Following are the crucial factors that need to be considered when buying PPE Isolation gowns:

    1. Verify the legitimacy of suppliers

There are many medical accessories suppliers in the medical industry which may offer substandard or counterfeit products. Thus, healthcare facilities must have a dedicated team to buy from a legitimate and trusted supplier. In addition, it is crucial to verify the legitimacy of suppliers and maintain a list of trustworthy suppliers to ensure there is no shortcoming of medical supplies such as PPE isolation gowns.

    2. EPA-approved PPE gowns

As per the CDC guidelines, the PPE gowns used in the medical facilities must be EPA-approved and designed according to health safety standards. Thus, it is crucial to check that the products delivered from the supplier have been tested and certified for medical use for the best level of protection.

    3. Quality assurance

Whether buying from a new supplier or an existing one, it is crucial to ensure that the products supplied are as promised. Thus, healthcare facilities need to have a counterfeit detection and quality assurance team in place to ensure the medical products are of genuine quality, adhere to regulations and provide adequate germ resistance.

    4. Optimum coverage and protection

Healthcare workers treating different patients with various types of infectious diseases can be vulnerable to infection if they contact any bodily fluid or blood of the patient during medical procedures. Thus, it is crucial to ensure that the PPE gowns provide optimum coverage and protection for all the critical body parts, including the front, neck, shoulders, knees, and wrist cuffs. 

    5. Biocompatibility of the gown material

It is also crucial to evaluate the biocompatibility of the gowns. It means that the gown material should be comfortable and breathable, allowing free movement. In addition, it should not be made of irritating material as it may trigger an allergic reaction.

Sourcing quality isolation gowns and PPE supplies and looking for trusted suppliers is the top challenge for healthcare facilities. So, if you want to buy PPE gowns, face masks, gloves, head covers, shoe covers, and other high-quality, EPA-approved medical accessories in bulk, get in touch with our team for expert assistance! 

Browse our extensive range of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other medical accessories that adhere to the CDC guidelines. Contact our team to learn more! 

Why choose portable acrylic dividers for your office?

Are you looking for an interesting idea in dividing space in your office? If so, portable clear acrylic office dividers can be a perfect choice. COVID-19 has already changed the way how a business looks nowadays. More and more employers are taking care of their employee safety, and hence they are opting for acrylic dividers in their offices. These dividers offer the following benefits:

They offer added protection against viruses-

Acrylic dividers act as a barrier against the spread of germs. In addition, they offer added protection against coughing and sneezing that can otherwise increase the risk of virus transmission and infection. Hence, you can keep your employees and customers safe during COVID times.

Transparent dividers will not obstruct view-

Choosing transparent and portable clear acrylic school/office dividers for your business can give you more benefits. If you are worried that dividers can obstruct the view and you will not be able to keep an eye over your employees, you can consider transparent dividers. They offer a perfect solution to rooms in your office that need division without obstruction.

They can be the right choice for perfect space utilization-

Portable dividers can help us to utilize the office space more practically and efficiently. Some are easy to handle without hardware or tools. They are easy to clean and disinfect. That means you can minimize the risk of spreading viruses through regular cleaning and disinfecting them.

Do you care for your team? If so, buy these dividers now and protect them against the deadly virus infection. But, wait! Are you running a school? If so, you can buy portable clear acrylic school dividers to keep teachers and children safe. So, what are you waiting for? Search for a company offering the best quality space dividers and book your order now!

What role do disinfectant surface wipes and hand sanitizers play in medical settings?

The safety of healthcare workers in the medical setting is always a top concern for any healthcare facility. However, since the covid-19 pandemic, healthcare workers are at an increased risk of exposure. Thus, in addition to standard medical disinfectant practices, healthcare facilities need to make more changes to ensure the safety of their staff and patients. 

After a comprehensive health hazard assessment of hospitals, the CDC has recommended using disinfectant surface wipes and hand sanitizers in the medical facilities for added safety at each level.

Ordinary cleaners may not be as effective in preventing the risk of coronavirus to healthcare workers. As a result, healthcare facilities need additional measures to minimize virus exposure and limit the risk of hospital-acquired infections. Therefore, healthcare facilities are required to buy EPA-approved disinfectant surface wipes and hand sanitizers to ensure maintaining a safer environment for hospital staff and visitors in specific areas of the health care facility. However, excessive use of strong disinfectants can also cause irritation, watery eyes, nasal problems, and other symptoms. Thus, choosing the right type of medical-grade hand sanitizers and wipes is a crucial consideration. It is best to buy high-quality hand sanitizers & wipes with hypoallergenic properties to prevent side effects. 

Disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizers can be used for the following purposes:

• As per CDC, disinfectant surface wipes can be used for single surface cleaning at the front desk, waiting rooms, general patient areas, and other high-touch surfaces to prevent cross-contamination.

• Unlike disinfectant sprays, disinfectant wipes don’t produce aerosol particles. Thus, disinfectant wipes are ideal for cleaning the room for patients who suffer from respiratory issues. 

• Disinfectant wipes are also ideal for use in the ER for quick clean-up to reduce contamination risk. Although a complete cleanup will be required afterward for the area, utilizing the disinfectant wipes can still lower the health risk.

• Disinfectant wipes are also used to limit pathogens in high-traffic areas to keep the healthcare environment hygienic and reduce the risk of cross-contamination throughout the day.

If you want to buy high-quality medical-grade disinfectant surface wipes and hand sanitizers that meet the EPA standards, get in touch with our team to secure the supply of EPA-approved medical accessories and PPE gear. Contact our team for any queries!

Ensure Complete Safety With The Usage of Proper Disposable Gloves

Coronavirus has moved everyone's hygiene standards up a notch. Cleanliness and hygiene have a whole new meaning and purpose in today's highly infected world. Although the fear of contamination drives most purchases of face shields, toilet papers, etc., some protective gear is essential and must be worn with proper care to ensure its efficacy. One of these protective gear is disposable protective gloves.

Disposable gloves are mostly worn by healthcare workers. But, the Novel Coronavirus has turned even the grocery runs into a health crisis. So, if you find yourself reaching out for a pair of disposable protective gloves as a layer of extra protection, ensure that you follow the right protocol to maintain protection and prevent any cross-contamination.

Must do’s to practice when wearing disposable gloves:

• Practice rigorous handwashing. It is extremely crucial that your hands are completely clean before you wear any protective gear. The purpose of PPE Kits is to provide optimal safety and prevent cross-contamination. So, the first and foremost rule is to always touch any of the protective gear and gloves with thoroughly washed and dried hands. Once your hands are clean, ensure that the gloves that you put on do not have any holes, punctures, or tears in them.
  
  
• Fit, Changing & Removal. If you are not wearing the right size of gloves, you might as well skip wearing them completely. It’s crucial to choose a glove size that is closest to the size of your hand to avoid hand fatigue or slippage. Moreover, change the disposable gloves every 2 hours and remove them with proper care to avoid contamination. Avoid touching the outer surface of the gloves with your bare hands. 
  Most importantly wash your hands thoroughly again between changes.
  
  
• Choose the right ones. This fact is not as widely known but some people may be allergic to latex gloves. So, it's important to know your alternative. Instead, there are industry-grade nitrile, vinyl, or cast polyethylene (CPE) gloves available for people with latex allergies. So choose wisely!

Must don’ts to practice when wearing disposable gloves:

➔ Never touch your face while wearing gloves.

➔ Never flush down the gloves or discard them off in the open.

➔ Never reuse protective disposable gloves.

➔ Avoid drinking or eating using utensils while wearing gloves.

It's important to practice the correct usage of disposable gloves to ensure protection and safety. If proper procedure is not followed, the protective gear can also be the source of contamination and spread infection. Hence, invest in industry-grade high-quality protective gear & gloves to get the best protection.

All You Need To Know About Face Mask Protection

Ever since the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, the CDC has made certain recommendations of wearing masks as general protection against the spread of the virus. In addition to this, CDC also recommends social distancing as an imperative part of containing the spread of COVID-19 disease. However, as people are getting vaccinated, there is rising confusion and distrust in using face masks as a form of primary protection. In response to this, CDC still continues to monitor the spread and asserts the initial recommendation of wearing face masks as primary protection.

How important is it to wear face masks?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the chances of the virus transmitting to others are high even if the person shows no signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Therefore, wearing masks has proven to be an effective way to control the spread of the virus. Although face masks may or may not meet any fluid barrier or filtration efficiency levels, it is still important that the face should be covered, especially the nose and the mouth. 

Among all the types of face masks and protection available in the market, cloth masks are a mild protective gear in terms of fluid barriers, whereas the N95 respirator provides higher respiratory protection to the wearer than cloth masks. Hence, even with the limited evidence supporting the effectiveness of the cloth masks, these items provide significant protection from germs, fluid exchange, and even the virus. Therefore, the CDC and WHO share a unanimous opinion that the widespread use of face masks might help to slow the spread of Covid-19.

What are different types of masks and their effectiveness?

• Medical masks, also known as surgical masks are loose-fitting disposable face protection. Originally designed to protect the wearer from the contact of germs and droplets, a medical mask should only be worn for a short period of time as they are loose in form-fitting and may not provide long-term protection or in highly contagious environments.

• Cloth Masks. These masks are intended to trap respiratory droplets when the wearer talks, coughs or sneezes. Therefore, it is only effective if made of multiple layers and a tightly woven fabric such as cotton. Cloth masks are safe to be worn by healthy and fully vaccinated individuals in non-congested environments. 

• N95 Respirators. These offer the highest form of protection than medical and cloth masks and covers the contours of the face, Its full-coverage filters out both large and small particles as the wearer inhales. Initially, these masks were in short supply, so the CDC recommended that these should be reserved for healthcare professionals only. However, now that these masks are abundant in supply, they are advised to be worn by people showing mild symptoms of flu or COVID-19.

Evidently, there are a number of benefits that face mask protection can provide to the wearer and to those around them. Hence, it’s essential to practice proper care in wearing and removing face masks to ensure proper protection. 

Elite Medical Accessories offers industry-grade face protection accessories in the form of surgical masks, 3 ply masks for children, and N95 respirators. Visit our website or reach out to our team to buy the highest-quality face protection accessories for your medical facility.

What to consider when choosing disposable sleeves for medical professionals?

Healthcare workers are often at risk of exposure to biological fluids that are capable of transmitting diseases. As they often treat patients with various diseases, extra precautions need to be taken when treating patients with high-risk conditions such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Ebola Virus, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). It can pose significant risks to the lives and health of healthcare workers. Thus, healthcare institutes regularly need to stock up on face masks, gloves, polypropylene sleeves, and other PPE gear as required to ensure the protection of medical professionals.

The disposable arm sleeves play a critical role in protecting the medical professionals against contaminants by acting as a layer of protective barrier for the forearm. Therefore, most healthcare organizations need to buy polypropylene sleeves in bulk to ensure sufficient supply. Protective sleeves can be either worn over bare skin or over the clothing. They are most frequently used when medical professionals need to work in an environment where there is an increased risk of contaminant fluids spraying or spurting accidentally, which could compromise their safety. Therefore, they must be made from cut-resistant material to avoid abrasions and cuts and provide an extra layer of protection. But at the same time, it is crucial to buy breathable disposable sleeves, which is why polypropylene is a popular choice.

Polyethylene sleeves are highly effective in protecting against water-based liquids and significantly reduce particulate release. The particulate release is a significant threat in the medical setting as it puts the health of healthcare workers at great risk. Thus, these sleeves are commonly used by cleaning professionals, surgical teams, and labs where splash protection is necessary. Extra-thick Vinyl protective sleeves are also a popular choice for medical professionals who require more protection against body fluids, chemicals, and abrasions. 

Following are a few things to consider when choosing disposable sleeves for medical professionals:

1. The risk exposure must be estimated accurately to select the right protective sleeves for different medical professionals working in various medical settings as there are no one-size-fits-all. 

2. The sleeves must be well fitted, and the size selection should be accurate as loose-fitting or tight-fitting sleeves may increase the risk of exposure or make it hard for them to operate with full mobility.

3. The ease or difficulty with which polypropylene sleeves are put on and removed should also be considered as medical professionals often have to get ready fast for medical procedures.

4. The fabric strength and durability need to be assessed.

5. Healthcare organizations must source FDA-approved gloves and sleeves from reputed suppliers for the use of medical professionals.

All of the available information, including potential limitations, needs to be carefully reviewed when selecting the most appropriate protective sleeves. If you are looking to buy a bulk supply of high-quality, medical-grade, breathable disposable sleeves, get in touch with our team for expert assistance.