Hospital gown

For other uses, see Gown (disambiguation).

A hospital gown, also known as a patient gown, exam gown, johnny shirt or johnny gown, is a short-sleeved, thigh-length garment worn by patients in hospitals and other medical facilities.

Utility

The hospital gown is made of fabric that can withstand repeated laundering in hot water, usually cotton, and is fastened at the back with twill tape ties. Disposable hospital gowns may be made of paper or thin plastic, with paper or plastic ties.

Some gowns have snaps along the top of the shoulder and sleeves, so that the gown can be removed without disrupting intravenous lines in the patient's arms.

Healthcare workers, especially in hospitals, find thin hospital gowns convenient for listening to the heart and lungs. For nurses, giving injections in the buttocks, abdomen, or thighs is easier when the patient is wearing a gown rather than street clothing.

Hospital gowns are much thinner and looser than regular clothing, so patients are less likely to overheat.^{[citation needed]}

Used paper hospital gowns are associated with hospital infections, which could be avoided by proper disposal.^[1]

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