This narrative review evaluates the evidence regarding the protection offered by isolation gowns, approaches to imparting antimicrobial activity to gowns, and the environmental impacts of gown use, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a search of the Medline, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases for articles published between January 1, 2019 to February 20, 2024. We found that current standards pertaining to isolation gowns might be irrelevant to the protection of healthcare workers from pathogen transmission, as they focus primarily on fluid barrier resistance values that are not reflective of all transmission conditions in hospitals. Although most available isolation gowns are disposable, reusable gowns could offer greater barrier protection and are more environmentally sustainable. Several techniques have been studied for their ability to impart antimicrobial properties to isolation gowns, extending their lifespan and reducing environmental impacts. However, evidence of the effectiveness of such techniques in clinical settings is scarce. We advocate for standardised guidelines inclusive of common pathogen survival tests, comfort, and durability, which reflect the actual infection risks encountered by healthcare workers, to improve the safety and efficacy of isolation gowns in hospital settings. Further research into the clinical effectiveness of antimicrobial gowns and their long-term implications on the environment is also warranted.

中文翻译：

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个人防护装备防护服的叙述性回顾：COVID-19 的教训。


本叙述性综述评估了有关隔离衣提供的保护、赋予防护服抗菌活性的方法以及使用防护服对环境的影响的证据，尤其是在 COVID-19 大流行期间。我们在 Medline、PubMed 和 Google Scholar 数据库中检索了 2019 年 1 月 1 日至 2024 年 2 月 20 日期间发表的文章。我们发现，当前与隔离衣相关的标准可能与保护医护人员免受病原体传播无关，因为它们主要关注液体屏障阻力值，而这些值并不能反映医院的所有传播情况。虽然大多数可用的隔离衣都是一次性的，但可重复使用的隔离衣可以提供更好的屏障保护，并且更具环境可持续性。已经研究了几种技术，因为它们能够赋予隔离衣抗菌性能，延长其使用寿命并减少对环境的影响。然而，缺乏此类技术在临床环境中有效性的证据。我们倡导标准化指南，包括常见病原体存活测试、舒适度和耐用性，这些指南反映了医护人员遇到的实际感染风险，以提高隔离衣在医院环境中的安全性和有效性。还需要进一步研究抗菌衣的临床有效性及其对环境的长期影响。