Existing surgical gowns; impact of laundering on tensile strength test results

ABSTRACT

Textiles perform as an interface between the body and environment. In the new generation of textiles, this potential of textiles is being utilized to provide the resistance not only against weather but also against micro-organisms and collision forces etc. the type of weave has a strong impact on its physical properties. Type of weave also affects the suitability of the material end use. According to a study by Behera plain weave is more suitable for surgical apparels in comparison with twill weave because of large pores between two adjoining yarns on intersection. Fabric construction parameters determine the strength of the fabric. Parameters are mass per unit area, number of threads per unit length, maximum force using the strip method, and yarn count [yarn number]. A fabric with high thread count does not allow the microorganisms to pass through a fabric than a fabric having low/less count. Different Surface finishes help to decrease the bacterial growth on the surface of fabric. Plasma coated Non-woven samples are better repellent of pathogens than re-usable woven fabrics. All surgical attire has to meet some given standards for tensile strength which dictates the rate of wear and tear that will affect the required properties. The thought behind this study was to evaluate and compare the tensile strength of existing surgical gowns among the groups. 1] To find out the Tensile Strength of existing surgical gown fabric before and after laundering [among three groups of hospitals]. 2] To compare the results of Tensile Strength of existing surgical gowns [among three groups of hospitals] being used in hospitals of Lahore. The study has experimental design. March 2011- March. 2012. Samples of fabric used for making surgical gowns were collected from different hospitals of Lahore and evaluated for Tensile Strength before and after laundering at Textile Lab. On the whole a decreasing trend was observed for tensile strength in all 3 groups of hospitals from 0 to 20[th] laundering. Group B of hospitals showed lowest tensile strength observation whereas the highest value was observed in group A of hospitals. The lowest observation for tensile strength was found in Group B of hospitals whereas in group C the highest value was observed it's clear that fabrics of group B showed lowest tensile strength rating in test results for both warp and weft directions. Whereas group A of hospitals showed highest tensile strength test results among the groups in warp and in weft group C showed high results: