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Nursing vocabulary · Infection Control

PPE

Meaning in nursing, with examples

/ˌpiː piː ˈiː/abbreviationCore term

In nursing, PPE means: Short for personal protective equipment: gloves, aprons, gowns, masks, eye protection and similar items worn to protect staff and patients from infection.

In Turkish: kişisel koruyucu ekipman (KKE), kişisel koruyucu donanım (KKD)

How it is used

Nurses put on (don) and take off (doff) PPE in a set order, and signs on isolation rooms show which PPE is needed. It is usually treated as uncountable: 'Wear PPE', 'We are running low on PPE', not 'a PPE' or 'PPEs'.

Example sentences

  1. Full PPE is needed in side room 2: gown, gloves, mask and visor.

  2. Take your PPE off before you leave the room, then clean your hands.

Common collocations

  • wear PPE
  • put on PPE
  • take off PPE
  • full PPE
  • PPE supplies
  • isolationKeeping a patient apart from others, usually in a single room with extra precautions, to stop an infection spreading or to protect a patient with weak immunity.
  • hand hygieneCleaning your hands with soap and water or an alcohol hand rub to remove germs and stop them spreading between patients.
  • clinical wasteWaste from healthcare that may be infectious or harmful, such as used dressings, blood-stained items, sharps and some medicines.
  • MRSAShort for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a type of bacteria that many common antibiotics cannot kill and that can cause infections, especially in hospitals.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Infection Control

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.