Sterilization of gowns: making the most of a scarce commodity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baylor Clinic in Mbabane, Eswatini, convened a crisis meeting to tackle critical shortages of long-sleeved disposable gowns that resulted from COVID-19 pandemic constraints on available personal protective equipment (PPE). A strategy deemed safe, affordable and sustainable was adopted to autoclave and re-use gowns based on a risk-stratified approach. Key objectives were to ensure essential infection control and prevention (ICP) for medical doctors, nurses, and laboratory teams. Administrative, environmental and personal protective measures for ICP were enhanced through regular staff training. This strategy for gown re-use has been invaluable in motivating responsible stewardship and maximization of available gowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.