IPAC Canada's Guidance on Gown Use
Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Canada provides evidence-based guidelines for when healthcare workers should wear isolation gowns. These guidelines, aligned with the CSA Z317.10 standard and provincial public health directives, help facilities standardize PPE use and reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Yet many Canadian facilities still struggle with inconsistent gown usage — either overusing them (driving up costs) or underusing them (creating exposure risk).
This article clarifies exactly when to wear a gown based on the latest IPAC Canada recommendations.
Understanding AAMI PB70 Testing Standards
Contact Precautions — The Primary Trigger
Isolation gown protocol is most often activated under Contact Precautions. According to IPAC Canada, gowns are required when:
Matching Gown Level to Clinical Application
- The patient is known or suspected to be colonized or infected with a multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) such as MRSA, VRE, ESBL-producing organisms, or C. difficile.
- The patient has acute diarrhea, vomiting, or uncontrolled secretions.
- The patient has draining wounds, ostomies, or skin infections that cannot be contained.
- There is anticipated contact with blood, body fluids, secretions, or excretions.
CliniEco Level 1 isolation gowns meet IPAC Canada's recommendations for standard contact precautions.
Cost Considerations for Canadian Facilities
IPAC Canada's Risk Assessment Framework
IPAC recommends a risk-based approach to when to wear gown. Healthcare workers should assess each patient interaction for:
| Risk Factor | Gown Required? | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Direct contact with patient's skin (intact) | Optional (based on facility policy) | Taking vital signs, general assessment |
| Contact with body fluids or non-intact skin | Yes | Wound care, blood draw, catheter care |
| Patient on Contact Precautions | Yes — upon entry | MRSA-positive patient room |
| Patient on Droplet/Airborne Precautions | May be required based on additional risk | COVID-19, influenza (plus N95) |
| Environmental cleaning of isolation rooms | Yes | Cleaning after C. difficile patient discharge |
Donning and Doffing Sequence
Proper PPE guidelines emphasize correct donning and doffing to prevent self-contamination. IPAC Canada recommends:
Donning (putting on):
- Hand hygiene
- Gown (tie at neck and waist, ensure full coverage of torso and arms)
- Mask or N95 respirator (depending on precaution type)
- Eye protection (if splash risk)
- Gloves (extend over gown cuffs)
Doffing (removing):
- Remove gloves (glove-to-glove, skin-to-skin technique)
- Remove gown (pull from back, turning inside out, roll into a bundle)
- Hand hygiene
- Remove eye protection
- Remove mask/respirator (by straps, avoid touching front)
- Hand hygiene again
Common Gown-Use Mistakes
- ❌ Wearing the same gown for multiple patient encounters — gowns are single-use and must be changed between patients
- ❌ Removing gown by pulling from the front — this contaminates hands and clothing
- ❌ Reusing gowns in the same patient room — discard after leaving the room
- ❌ Not wearing a gown when splashing is anticipated during a procedure
- ❌ Wearing a gown when there is zero anticipated contact — unnecessary waste and cost
Gown Selection by Clinical Setting
Different Canadian healthcare settings have different needs for infection control gown selection:
- Hospitals & acute care: Mix of Level 1 and Level 2 gowns, with Level 3 for OR and ER. High-volume, multi-patient use.
- Long-term care (LTC): Predominantly Level 1 gowns for contact precautions and personal care. Comfort and ease of donning are critical.
- Clinics & outpatient: Level 1 gowns for standard procedures. Lower volume but need easy access.
- Dental clinics: Level 1 or 2 with face protection. Higher splash risk from dental procedures.
Building an IPAC-Compliant Gown Program
A compliant gown program requires three elements: the right policies (based on IPAC Canada guidelines), the right products (isolation gowns with appropriate AAMI PB70 ratings), and the right training for all staff. CliniEco Medical supports Canadian healthcare with AAMI-rated disposable isolation gowns, biodegradable options, and bulk procurement programs. Visit CliniEco.ca to explore our gown range and ensure your facility meets IPAC standards.
Need this for your facility? CliniEco Medical supplies CliniEco Medical Isolation Gown — SMMS 40gsm Level 2 Protection, 50-Pack to Canadian clinics, laboratories and long-term care homes. Open a wholesale account for institutional pricing.
Related Reading
Explore more guides in this category:
- PLA Isolation Gowns for Long-Term Care: Eco-Friendly Protection
- Isolation Gown Selection: Level 1 vs Level 2 Protection for Canadian Healthcare
- Isolation Gowns for Ontario LTC Homes: What Inspectors Look For in 2026
Also read: start with our underpad buying guide for absorbency, sizing and cost.
Have a question about your own facility? Send it in and you will get a written answer specific to your setup, with the regulation or standard it is based on cited. Ask your compliance question.
Gown use that follows written indications is easier to budget than gown use that follows habit. The supply and cost planner prices indications per day as monthly cases in CAD.
Where gowns are stored and how often the caddy is refilled are part of one routine. The log sheet generator prints a dated refill sheet per storage point.
Related reading
Frequently Asked Questions
When does routine practice require an isolation gown?
When the task is likely to splash or spray blood, body fluids, secretions or excretions onto skin or clothing, and when entering the room of a patient on contact precautions. Tasks such as emptying a urinary catheter bag, changing a heavily soiled brief or cleaning a contaminated surface qualify. A gown is not needed for routine vital signs or a conversation with a patient on contact precautions if no contact with the patient or environment occurs.
What do AAMI PB70 protection levels mean for gown selection?
AAMI PB70 grades gown barrier performance from Level 1 to Level 4 using impact penetration and hydrostatic pressure tests. Level 1 suits minimal fluid exposure, Level 2 short procedures with splashes, Level 3 longer procedures with fluid, and Level 4 covers infectious fluid with the highest pressure resistance. Most long-term care and clinic tasks sit at Levels 1 and 2; operating rooms are a separate selection.
Where does a gown come off, and what happens next?
Doff the gown inside the room, before leaving, unfastening at the back and pulling it away from the shoulders so the contaminated outside folds inward. Roll it into a bundle and place it in the designated waste or laundry stream, then clean hands. Gowns must never be hung on a hook in the corridor for reuse, and cloth gowns used in Canada have to be laundered to a documented thermal or chemical standard.
What is the most common gown-use mistake in Canadian facilities?
Wearing one gown for several patients. A gown becomes contaminated on the outside the moment it contacts a patient or their immediate environment, so it cannot travel between rooms or between residents. The second most common is using a Level 1 gown for a task that splashes. Audit both with a short observation round: count gowns per room entry and compare the barrier level on the box with the task performed.
How should a facility budget gown stock?
Start from room entries per shift rather than from staff headcount, then add a cushion for isolation outbreaks. A 40-bed unit that averages 60 gowned entries a day uses roughly 1,800 gowns a month before any outbreak, which is why case quantities matter more than unit price. CliniEco Medical stocks SMMS 40 gsm Level 2 gowns, Level 1 non-woven gowns and PLA biodegradable gowns in Canada.