Determination of Potentiality of Nonwoven Fabrics As Surgical Gowns

Abstract

The current study evaluates the potential of spunbond, SMS, and spunlaced nonwoven fabrics of different fabric weights for surgical gowns characterized for liquid barrier properties, antimicrobial properties, blood repellency, air permeability, and stiffness. Surgical gowns are commonly used in healthcare facilities as part of surgical staff protective equipment to reduce the transmission of microorganisms to surgical patients as well as surgical staff exposure to infectious agents like HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Polypropylene spunbond, spunlace, and spunbond/melt blown/spunbond fabrics with different basis weight i.e. 35 g/m² and 50 g/m² are used to estimate the barrier properties against microorganisms and liquid or body fluids. The selected fabric samples are analyzed for Liquid barrier properties by the hydrostatic pressure test, water impact penetration, and resistance to synthetic blood. The antibacterial activity of the fabric samples is analyzed with Staphylococcus aureus. Air permeability thickness and stiffness force are tested for evaluation of comfort properties. The results show that SMS fabric samples of 35 g/m² and 50g/m² weight offer sufficient liquid barrier properties for level II protections as per AAMI barrier protection classification, whereas the other two fabric samples offer only level I protection. SMS fabrics are not very comfortable as compared to spunbond and spunlaced fabrics due to their higher stiffness and lower air permeability values, but the highest permeability and lowest stiffness force were offered by Spunlace fabric. Further, it was noticed that as the weight of fabric increases, the stiffness force increases and air permeability decreases. All the fabrics did not show any bacterial resistance or blood repellency.