TL;DR
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Barriers worn by healthcare workers to protect against exposure to infectious agents, including gloves, gowns, masks, face shields, and eye protection.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Definition
Barriers worn by healthcare workers to protect against exposure to infectious agents, including gloves, gowns, masks, face shields, and eye protection.
Overview
PPE creates a barrier between the worker and infectious materials. Selection is based on anticipated exposure, not confirmed diagnosis.
Types
- Gloves: protect hands during contact with blood and body fluids
- Gowns: protect skin and clothing from splashes
- Surgical masks: protect from droplet transmission
- N95 respirators: filter 95% of airborne particles, require fit testing
- Eye protection: goggles or face shields for splash protection
Donning/Doffing
Donning: hand hygiene → gown → mask → eye protection → gloves.
Doffing: gloves → hand hygiene → eye protection → gown → mask → hand hygiene. Gloves come off first as the most contaminated item.
Self-contamination during doffing is the most common PPE failure.
Surgical PPE
Sterile gowns and gloves donned using closed-gloving technique. Double gloving for high-puncture-risk procedures. Torn glove or gown requires immediate replacement.
Why It Matters
PPE selection and donning/doffing sequence are tested on CNA, CST, MA, EMT, and Paramedic exams. Incorrect removal is a leading cause of self-contamination.
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