There does seem to be some confusion. Part of enhanced PPE for AGPs, we are told, is the wearing of a long- sleeved gown.
But why?
As a student more years ago than I care to remember, we wore long-sleeved white lab coats. However, for the last 30 or so years we have been told that wearing long sleeves hinders washing of wrists and forearms. We have therefore worn short-sleeved tops – commonly scrubs.
We are told that corona viruses are very easily killed by breaking its outer capsule using detergent. Hence the reason for the public told to wash hands regularly and often with soap and water. This appears to reinforce the message to us about having wrists and forearms exposed for washing.
So why, suddenly, has the 30 year old message about shirt sleeves been reversed?
One argument is that gowns are to protect clothes, and scrubs are classified as clothes. When we take off our scrubs, we might smear anything on the tops over our faces. This depends on how you remove the tops and some are modified in such a way as to have fastenings (poppers or velcro) so they can be removed easily Bucks Fizz-at-Eurovision-style. But this does not answer the forearm question.
Another argument is that nobody makes short-sleeved gowns. But this doesn’t answer why we are now instructed to wear long-sleeves. If we were asked to wear short-sleeved gowns, someone would make them. For example the Yorkshire PPE company came into the market and could have easily made short-sleeved gowns if the market demanded them.
I am sure you will have experienced a possible AGP being booked in, but discovered that an AGP was not required. (For example a patient reporting a loose restoration to the receptionist turns out to need an uncomplicated extraction. Not the AGP you had got togged up for). So you think you will just keep the gown on until the next AGP to avoid waste. But- hang on does the cuff prevent proper washing of your wrists? You could roll up the cuff to wash wrists and forearms, but when you roll the sleeves back down you will recontaminate your wrists with whatever was on them when you rolled them up.
It has been suggested to only wear the gowns with no scrubs underneath. This brings into mind a rather old joke
Q: “what do you wear under your kilt?”
A: “Nothing is worn under my kilt......everything is in perfect working order!”
Surely in the event of having no short- sleeved-gowns, it is better to either have short-sleeved gowns or roll up the long-sleeves? This allows for proper hand, wrist and forearm washing; continuous wearing until an AGP is performed and meanwhile anything that is “worn” underneath is protected.