FDA > CDRH > Personal Protective Equipment > Surgical Gowns

Surgical Gowns

On this page:

• About surgical gowns
• When to use surgical gowns
• Types of surgical gowns used in patient care
• Choosing between surgical gowns and isolation gowns
• What you should know before using surgical gowns
• Find all FDA-cleared surgical gowns

About surgical gowns

 Surgical gowns are garments worn during medical procedures. Gowns help prevent contamination between caregivers and patients, and they protect the caregiver's clothing.

Surgical gowns, which also include isolation gowns, are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FDA makes sure that manufacturers of these devices meet performance criteria such as penetration resistance, tear resistance, etc.

When to use surgical gowns

Use surgical gowns to cover your trunk, arms, legs, and clothing when you may be splattered by someone else’s body fluids (such as blood, respiratory secretions, vomit, urine or feces) .

Types of gowns used in patient care

 Surgical gowns

• Usually packaged as sterile products or designed to be sterilized
• Some are disposable and others are made of fabric that is labeled as washable for multiple use
• Come in various sizes, including one-size-fits-all
• Made of fluid-resistant materials to reduce the transfer of body fluids

Isolation gowns

• not sold as sterile products
• usually intended to protect the wearer from the transfer of microorganisms and only small amounts of body fluids

Choosing between surgical gowns and isolation gowns

When working in a hospital or other healthcare environment, follow your facility's standards of practice for wearing surgical gowns.

Choose a surgical gown when performing surgery or other sterile procedure.

Choose an isolation gown when caring for a patient in isolation.

What you should know before using surgical gowns

• Select gown materials based on the activity and the amount of body fluid that is expected.
• Remove surgical gowns promptly when they are soiled.
• If blood or body fluids soak through a surgical gown, remove it and any soiled clothing underneath and immediately wash skin.
• Never reuse disposable surgical gowns.
• Never wash or disinfect disposable surgical gowns.
• Never share surgical gowns with other users.
• See About PPE for information on disposing of surgical gowns.

Find all FDA-cleared surgical gowns

 FDA’s Devices@FDA website lets you search for medical devices that FDA has cleared or approved, including personal protective equipment.

Search for all FDA-cleared surgical gowns

Updated December 12, 2005