Patient Gowns for Hot Climates and Cold Air-Conditioned Wards

In the UAE, patient gowns have to cope with two climates at once: heat outside and cold air-conditioning inside. Patients arrive hot, then spend hours or days in wards, imaging suites and recovery areas that can feel chilly, especially when they are lying still, unwell or sedated in a thin short-sleeved gown. The practical answer is not one perfect gown but a combination: a breathable fabric, a choice of sleeve lengths, and easy layers such as a second gown, dressing gown or blanket.

This guide explains how temperature affects patient comfort, which gown features help, and how to plan for different areas of the same hospital.

Why patients feel cold in air-conditioned wards

Several things combine to make patients colder than staff in the same room.

• They are still. Staff move around constantly; patients lie or sit for long periods and generate less heat.
• They are unwell. Illness, fasting, blood loss, sedation and some medicines affect how the body regulates temperature.
• They are thinly dressed. A single-layer gown with short sleeves and an open back offers little insulation compared with the uniforms and layers staff wear.
• Air movement. Air-conditioning outlets above or near beds create draughts that make a cool room feel colder.

Ward temperatures are set for many reasons, including staff comfort, equipment and infection control, and gowns cannot change that. What gowns and linen can do is give patients options.

The hot side: arrivals, outdoor areas and warm zones

Not every space is cold. Patients may wait in warm entrances, walk between buildings, use outdoor gardens in rehabilitation or long-stay facilities, or be in areas where cooling is uneven. Some patients, such as those with fever or in labour, feel hot even in a cool ward. Heavy fabrics and long sleeves can be uncomfortable for them.

This is why a single heavy "winter" gown does not solve the problem either. Flexibility matters more than warmth alone.

Gown features that help

Feature	Helps with	Considerations
Long sleeves	Cold wards, recovery, older patients	Check access needs: IV lines, blood pressure, monitoring. Shoulder-opening designs can combine long sleeves with line access.
Short sleeves	Warm areas, feverish patients, arm procedures	Offer a layer for patients who feel cold
Wrap-around back	Draughts on the back, coverage when sitting	Generally warmer and more modest than a narrow back opening
Longer length	Cold legs, modesty	Check the gown is not a trip hazard for mobile patients
Breathable fabric	Comfort in both heat and cold	Cotton and cotton-rich blends feel breathable; poly-cotton dries faster and keeps its shape
Slightly heavier weave	Warmth	Adds laundry weight and drying time; test before committing

For details on sleeve and opening options in relation to lines, see shoulder-opening patient gowns for IV access.

Fabric choice for two climates

Patients are in contact with their gown for long periods, so fabric feel matters.

Cotton

Cotton is soft and breathable and generally comfortable against the skin in both warm and cool conditions. It can shrink and may take longer to dry in the laundry.

Poly-cotton

Poly-cotton blends are common in hospital textiles because they dry quickly, hold their shape and colour well through industrial laundering, and resist creasing. Some patients find higher-polyester blends feel less breathable when they are warm. A cotton-rich blend can be a compromise.

The right choice depends on your laundry process as well as patient comfort. Trial samples through your own laundry and ask patients and nurses how they feel after several washes. The patient gown fabric guide compares fabrics in more detail.

Layering: the most flexible solution

Rather than trying to make one gown suit every patient, give patients and nurses easy ways to add or remove warmth.

1. A second gown worn as a robe. Worn back to front over the first gown, it covers the open back and adds a layer. It is simple and uses existing stock.
2. Dressing gowns or patient robes. Useful for mobile patients walking in corridors. Check your infection-control policy on their use and laundering.
3. Blankets. Cellular blankets let patients adjust their own warmth in bed and can be added in recovery.
4. Patient tops and trousers. For mobile patients and longer stays, a top and trousers cover the legs and back and can be warmer and more dignified than a gown.
5. Socks. Many hospitals provide non-slip socks, which also help patients who feel cold.

Linen is covered more fully in our guide to hospital linen for hot climates.

Planning by area

Different parts of a hospital have different temperature profiles and needs. A simple plan might look like this:

• General wards: stock short- and long-sleeved gowns in a ratio based on feedback, with blankets available
• Recovery and day surgery: long sleeves and extra blankets, as sedated patients often feel cold
• Imaging: rooms are often cool; offer a robe or second gown for waiting, and follow imaging rules on fastenings
• Maternity: labouring patients often feel hot, while postnatal patients may want warmth; stock both
• Long-stay and rehabilitation: tops and trousers or patients' own clothes where policy allows
• Older patients: they often feel the cold more, so long sleeves and warm layers are worth prioritising

Colour-coded gowns or labels can make it easy for staff to tell sleeve lengths apart on the shelf.

Stock and laundry implications

Offering more than one gown type has a cost in complexity. Two sleeve lengths mean two piles on every shelf, two lines in the laundry count and more chances of one running out. To keep it manageable:

• Use a visible difference, such as a coloured trim or label, so laundry staff sort sleeve lengths quickly
• Set separate par levels for each type on each ward, based on actual use rather than an even split
• Review the split after a few months; wards often find they need more of one than expected
• Keep the specification of each type on record so reorders match

Asking patients

The simplest way to find out whether patients are comfortable is to ask. A ward round question, a line in a patient survey or a short trial of long-sleeved gowns on one ward can show whether current stock suits your wards. Nurses can also report how often patients ask for extra blankets.

Checklist

• Long-sleeved option available on cool wards and recovery
• Short-sleeved option for warm areas and feverish patients
• Line-access designs where long sleeves are needed with IVs
• Breathable fabric tested after laundering
• Second gowns, robes or blankets available for layering
• Tops and trousers for mobile and long-stay patients
• Feedback collected from patients and nurses

Ordering

MISHAREN makes reusable patient gowns to order with short or long sleeves, back-opening, wrap-around and shoulder-opening designs, and patient tops and trousers, in cotton or poly-cotton. Colours can be set by ward, making sleeve lengths or departments easy to tell apart. See patient gowns or request a quotation via contact.