Guides · ot gowns and drapes
OT Procedure Linen Packs: How to Design Contents and Plan Reusable Stock
A clear contents list for each OT linen pack reduces waste, keeps CSSD stocked and tells you exactly how many reusable gowns, drapes and towels to order.
An OT procedure linen pack is a set of reusable gowns, drapes, covers and towels, folded in the order they will be used and wrapped together, so one pack opens everything a theatre team needs to drape a particular type of case. Good packs start with a written contents list for each procedure, agreed by the surgical team and CSSD, and a linen stock built to supply those lists reliably.
This guide covers how to design pack contents, how to standardise them, and what that means for the linen you order. The packing, wrapping and sterilisation method itself belongs to your CSSD and infection-control teams.
Why packs matter for reusable linen
When theatre linen is reusable, the pack is the unit everything else revolves around. The laundry returns clean items, CSSD inspects, folds and assembles them into packs, the packs are sterilised and stored, and theatres draw packs per case. If pack contents are vague, three things go wrong:
- teams open extra packs or single items to make up shortfalls, which drives up use and laundry cost,
- CSSD runs short of particular items because no one counted how many each pack needs,
- items that do not fit the procedure get opened and then reprocessed without being used.
A clear pack list fixes most of this, and it also tells you exactly how many of each item to order.
Basic packs and procedure-specific packs
Most theatres end up with two layers of packs.
Basic or general pack
A core set used for many cases, for example: one or two surgeon gowns, hand towels, a back-table cover, a Mayo stand cover and a set of plain drapes. It is the starting point for most procedures.
Procedure-specific packs
Packs for specialties or positions with particular drapes, such as:
- a lithotomy pack with leggings, an under-buttock drape and a perineal drape (see lithotomy leggings and drapes),
- a laparotomy pack built around a large fenestrated drape,
- an extremity pack with split or U-drapes,
- an eye or ENT pack with smaller drapes cut for the head.
Supplementary items
Extra gowns, towels and small drapes wrapped singly or in small bundles, so teams can add to a basic pack without opening a second full pack.
| Pack type | Typical use | Advantage | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic pack | Many routine cases | Few pack types to manage | Teams may open supplements for most cases |
| Procedure pack | Specialty cases | Everything in one pack, less handling | More pack types to build and store |
| Supplementary items | Top-ups | Avoids opening a second full pack | Easy to overuse without monitoring |
The right balance depends on your case mix. A day-surgery centre with a narrow list may manage with a few procedure packs; a general hospital usually needs both layers.
How to build a pack contents list
- List the procedures by volume. Start with the cases that make up most of your theatre list. Low-volume cases can often use a basic pack plus supplements.
- Observe or ask what is actually used. Check with scrub nurses which items are opened and which come back unused. Unused items are a sign the pack is too generous.
- Write the contents in order of use. The first item out of the pack should be on top. Typically hand towels and gowns come first, followed by table covers and then drapes in the order they are applied.
- Record sizes and codes, not just names. "Drape, large" means different things to different people. Use item codes that match the marking on the linen.
- Agree with the surgical team and CSSD. The surgeons and theatre nurses confirm content; CSSD confirms the pack can be folded, wrapped and processed as specified.
- Create a pack card or checklist that CSSD uses during assembly, with a picture of the opened pack if possible.
- Review after a few weeks. Adjust for items consistently left unused or added.
Making packs easy to assemble
Packs are assembled by people working through high volumes, so the linen itself should make that job easy.
- Consistent item codes and size marks. Every item should carry a code that matches the pack card. Marking placed in the same position on every item speeds up sorting.
- Distinct colours where useful. Some teams use a different shade for towels or for a specialty's drapes so they stand out during assembly. If you do this, record the colour on the pack card so assemblers know what to look for.
- Standard folds. Agree a fold for each item and photograph it. Drapes with openings, such as fenestrated, split and U-drapes, need a fold that presents the opening correctly.
- Matching wear. Items that wear out at very different rates create gaps in packs. Ordering the whole set in the same fabric and construction helps them age together.
The wrapping material and method used to enclose the pack is set by CSSD. If reusable wraps are used, see instrument wrapping cloths for the textile side of that decision.
From pack lists to order quantities
Once each pack has a written contents list, ordering stops being guesswork:
- Count how many of each pack type you use on a typical busy day.
- Multiply by the number of each item in that pack.
- Add up across all pack types to get the daily need per item.
- Multiply by the number of days a set spends in circulation: in use, in laundry, in CSSD and on the shelf.
- Add a reserve for items withdrawn at inspection and for unexpected peaks.
The detailed method is in OT linen par levels. The key point is that par levels should be built from pack lists, not from a general "number of gowns per theatre" rule.
Pack checklist
- Pack types listed, with the procedures each serves
- Contents in order of use, with item codes and sizes
- Pack card or photo for CSSD assembly
- Folding method for each item agreed and recorded
- Marking on every item matches the pack card
- Review date for adjusting contents
- Order quantities calculated from pack lists
What to tell your linen supplier
When you ask for a quotation, share the pack lists rather than a single total. A supplier can then make sure that items used together, such as drapes and the gowns and towels packed with them, are cut from the same fabric and colour, marked consistently and sized to your drawings. MISHAREN makes reusable surgeon gowns, plain and fenestrated drapes, trolley and Mayo stand covers and instrument wrapping cloths to order at its own unit in Konni, Kerala, with each order shipped to the UAE and delivered across the seven emirates.
To quote for the items in your procedure packs, see our OT gowns and drapes page or send your pack lists through contact.