Manufacturer IFUs and microbiological evidence show that routine surface wipes fall short of what lead garment decontamination actually requires.

When medical facilities invest in high-quality personal protective equipment (PPE) to shield clinicians during procedures, it’s essential to get the most out of it throughout its lifespan. Maintaining protective garments ensures your clinicians remain protected and helps manage budgets as efficiently as possible.  Storing garments on a dedicated lead aprons rack also helps maintain their […]

Lead vests used in radiology can accumulate dirt, germs, and contaminants that require proper cleaning and disinfection for health and safety. However, guidelines from governing bodies like AORN state that many medical facilities use inconsistent or inadequate cleaning processes that could put patient and staff safety at risk if left unaddressed. We’re here to help […]

Busy radiology and interventional departments can struggle to manage storage solutions for personal protective equipment (PPE) like lead aprons. However, ensuring proper storage of these garments is crucial to ensuring the continue to offer proper protection from radiation exposure.  A key example of this is a study in 2011 published by the Journal of Diagnostic […]

Lead aprons are a crucial protective garment in radiology and interventional surgery. Most medical teams have many in stock in imaging rooms and storage areas to accommodate ongoing needs in daily procedures, such as X-rays and fluoroscopy.  It’s important to consider effective ways to store the lead aprons. Finding a suitable storage solution can help […]

Based on our observations and studies, the average lifespan of a lead apron is typically five to six years. It depends on many factors. ●       Protective Material: We’ve seen lightweight lead and lead-free aprons (thinner) last three to five years, whereas traditional lead aprons (thicker) last six to ten years. ●       Frequency of Use: Daily […]

We’ve seen some interesting maintenance practices over the years, from physicians washing lead aprons in a car wash to soaking thyroid collars in the scrub sink outside the OR. Proper maintenance of X-ray garments extends their lifespan and keeps them working well, ensuring patient and staff safety. Improper maintenance can mean replacing aprons sooner or […]

Properly managing your lead aprons helps with garment longevity, supports compliance and safety standards, and ensures they adequately protect staff from scatter radiation and HAIs.  However, keeping track of your lead apron inventory can become a low priority when juggling staffing challenges and caring for patients. Unfortunately, poor lead apron management can cause garments to fall […]

Most lead apron cleaning guides or policies will recommend wipes and sprays, but if you’re not cleaning your garments with both regular wipe-downs and quarterly deep cleaning and disinfection, you could be putting your staff and patients at risk of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). Regular garment cleaning maintains the integrity of personal protective equipment, such as […]

If you’re cleaning lead aprons with wipes and sprays alone, you could be leaving behind dangerous biofilm and other contaminants that can lead to infections and other risks for staff and patients. My co-founder and I contracted Ringworm in two different hospital networks from wearing hospital-owned thyroid collars from facilities that had wipes-based protocols in […]