The evaluation of fabrics in relation to their use as protective garments in nursing and surgery. III. Wet penetration and contact transfer of particles through clothing.

A method is described for comparing the resistance to penetration by aqueous fluids, under rubbing contact, of a representative series of fabrics. Untreated woven fabrics are rapidly penetrated, but some non-woven synthetic materials resist penetration for much longer and tightly woven proofed cotton fabrics for prolonged periods, even after repeated washing and sterilizing. If a wetting agent is added to water, penetration occurs more quickly, but fabrics containing natural cotton are penetrated more slowly by serum. The same fabrics were examined by a test designed to simulate transfer of dry particulate material, e.g. skin scales, through them during nursing contact. The proportionate differences observed were much greater than for air dispersal during exercise and closely resembled those obtained by a laboratory rubbing test. In particular, one of the non-woven fabrics showed much greater relative penetration when examined by these methods than the relative dispersal of skin scales through it during exercise.