What is the correct sequence for doffing personal protective equipment (PPE)?

The correct sequence for doffing personal protective equipment (PPE) is crucial in ensuring that healthcare professionals minimize their exposure to potential contaminants. The recommended order typically emphasizes the removal of the most contaminated items first and maintaining hand hygiene throughout the process.

In this sequence, the gloves are removed first because they are often the most contaminated item after patient care. By starting with the gloves, you begin to reduce the risk of transferring pathogens to your hands. After the gloves, hand hygiene is performed to ensure that any potential contaminants that might have come into contact with your skin are eliminated before removing other types of equipment.

Following hand hygiene, it's important to remove the face shield or goggles. These items may have been exposed to respiratory droplets or aerosols, and removing them after cleansing your hands helps prevent the introduction of pathogens to the face during subsequent steps.

This method of doffing ensures a logical and safe approach, allowing for the reduction of cross-contamination while allowing for protective measures at each step. Thus, the sequence of gloves, hand hygiene, and then face shield or goggles represents the best practice to protect both healthcare workers and patients from transmission risks.