title: Direct measurement of bacterial penetration through surgical gowns: a new method.
abstract: There is a paucity of data on the penetration of bacteria through surgical gowns during operations. A simple new method was developed, using Petri dishes filled with horse blood agar that were attached to the outside of the gown material. This was used to assess bacterial penetration through disposable spun-bonded polyester gowns and re-usable woven polyester gowns during normal use. There was a significant difference between the two gown types when tested in the axilla (P = 0.02), the groin (P = 0.02) and the peri-anal region (P < 0.01), with the disposable gowns performing to a higher standard. Re-usable gowns demonstrated variation in penetrability, and for this reason, may be unsuitable for use in orthopaedic implant surgery.
authors.affiliation: Yeovil District Hospital, Higher Kingston, Yeovil, BA21 4AT, UK. benlank@hotmail.com
authors.forename: B J A
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Lankester
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Bartlett
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Garneti
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Blom
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Bowker
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Bannister
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004209:Disposable Equipment / Q000382:microbiology; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D006801:Humans; D009873:Operating Rooms; D011481:Protective Clothing / Q000382:microbiology*