What’s the Difference Between Isolation Gown Levels?

When it comes to personal protective equipment, or PPE, it’s essential to get the right equipment for your circumstances. A critical component of an effective PPE strategy is an Isolation Gown, which is designed to prevent cross contamination and protect the wearer’s skin and clothing from infectious liquids and solids.

The Four Levels of Protection

Isolation gowns are referred to by the four levels of protection available, and it can be somewhat confusing to know which isolation gown is right for your needs. The FDA recognizes guidelines from the American National Standards Institute/Association of the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (ANSI/AAMI) PB70:2003, which specify tests and results necessary to verify and validate that gowns provide specific levels of protection. To help simplify things, we’ve outlined the four standardized levels of protection available, based on FDA guidelines, so you know exactly which level is necessary to keep your workplace safe for everyone.

So what’s the difference between the four levels of protection offered by isolation gowns? Level 1 vs Level 2? Level 2 vs Level 3? Level 3 vs Level 4?

Level 1

Gowns offering level 1 protection provide minimal protection and tend to be used in general hospital circumstances or when medical and healthcare workers are offering just basic care and don’t require sterile gowns. These gowns provide a slight barrier against fluids, but aren’t suitable for blood draws, ICUs, pathology labs.

Level 2

Isolation gowns with level 2 protection are ideal for low risk circumstances like blood draws from veins or work in pathology labs and ICUs and don’t require sterile gowns. Level 2 gowns are tested by pressurizing the material used to make the gowns and by impacting the gowns with water. These gowns can block more fluid than level 1 gowns and are effective against fluid penetration that might occur through splatter or soaking.

Level 3

Gowns with level 3 protection are ideal for moderate risk scenarios such as blood draws from arteries, inserting IVs, and ER or trauma work which require sterile gowns and equipment. These gowns are also effective against splatters and soaking. The same tests used for level 2 gowns are used to test the efficacy of level 3 gowns.

Level 4

Level 4 gowns offer the highest level of protection available and are used for all high risk circumstances (e.g. during surgery in an operating room that requires sterile equipment). These heavy-duty gowns can prevent fluid and virus penetration for up to an hour. These gowns are tested by subjecting them to simulated blood containing a virus. If at the end of the test the virus didn’t penetrate the gown, then the gown can be designated as level 4. These gowns offer pathogen resistance, protection against non-airborne diseases, and work as a barrier to large amounts of fluids for extended periods of time.

How to Pick the Right Isolation Gown to Limit COVID-19 Exposure

According to the CDC’s COVID-19 resources, selecting the correct level of isolation gown depends on the protection needed for the circumstances. For patients with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19, non-sterile, disposable patient isolation gowns, which are used for routine patient care in healthcare settings, are appropriate. For healthcare professionals engaging in activities where the risk of bodily fluid exposure is low or minimal, gowns that claim minimal or low levels of barrier protection (ANSI/AAMI PB70 Level 1 or 2) can be used. For situations where medium to high risk of contamination and need for a large critical zone, isolation gowns that claim moderate to high barrier protection (ANSI/AAMI PB70 Level 3 or 4) can be used.

Match Your isolation Gown Level to the Circumstances

Especially during a global pandemic like COVID-19, it’s essential to have a successful PPE strategy in place. Isolation gowns are critical to keeping employees, medical personnel, patients, and the community safe, especially from infectious liquids. But while iso gowns offer essential protection, it can be difficult to know which level of protection you might need from a gown. Be sure to match the ANSI/AAMI level to the circumstances when sourcing isolation gowns.

1. Level 1 or Level 2 – generally non-sterile and can be used for COVID-19 patients or when the risk of bodily fluid exposure is low
2. Level 3 or Level 4 – generally sterile and for use in healthcare scenarios when there is a medium to high risk of contamination via bodily fluids such as surgical settings and are usually allocated for operating rooms

Shop Level 2 and Level 3 Isolation Gowns from Community Attire

Community Attire is proud to offer disposable isolation gowns that test to level 2/3 standards as well as reusable Level 3 isolation gowns. The disposable gowns can be used in circumstances involving routine patient care or in healthcare scenarios with a low risk of bodily fluid exposure. They are suitable for civilian or healthcare scenarios to help prevent the spread of the Coronavirus and are one size fits most. The reusable Level 3 isolation gowns are made of 100% polyester with a CPE coating and are guaranteed to meet AAMI Level 3 standards for at least 25 wash cycles. These reusable gowns can be used in medium to high risk scenarios where there is the possibility of contamination via bodily fluids.

Stay Informed and Be Safe

As more and more businesses are reopening, Community Attire is committed to keeping our communities and work forces safe by providing equipment to keep everyone working efficiently and safely. Our intention with our resource blog is to keep our communities safe and informed and we encourage everyone to review the safety protocol on the CDC website. Thank you for letting us help!