ICU hospital shorts

Abstract

A pair of hospital shorts having releasable fasteners such as snaps along the inseam or inner thigh portions of the shorts and along the midline or fly of the shorts. With the fasteners unfastened the shorts are positioned laid out generally flat and approximately centered under the patient. The left and right ends of the shorts are then wrapped over the patient's lower torso, and the inseams and fly may be fastened to provide shorts that do not have to be pulled over the legs of the patient, and that are easily donned or put on the patient with minimal effort. An optional drawstring along an upper edge of the shorts may then be tied, to further secure the shorts about the patient. The fly and/or inseam fasteners may be selectively unfastened to provide access to the user as required, for example by medical personnel.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:  
     
         1 . A pair of hospital shorts for a patient comprising, in combination: 
 a fabric panel having an upper edge, a left fly edge, a right fly edge, a left upper inseam edge, a left lower inseam edge, a right upper inseam edge, and a right lower inseam edge;    a first releasable connector for releasably connecting the left fly edge to the right fly edge;    a second releasable connector for releasably connecting the left upper inseam edge to the left lower inseam edge; and    a third releasable connector for releasably connecting the right upper inseam edge to the right lower inseam edge;    wherein the fabric panel is adapted to wrap about a lower torso of a patient and to be secured to the patient by connecting the first, second and third releasable connectors.    
     
     
         2 . The hospital shorts of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first, second, and third releasable connectors comprises a plurality of snaps.  
     
     
         3 . The hospital shorts of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric panel upper edge forms an elongate sheath, the shorts further comprising a drawstring that extends through the elongate sheath.  
     
     
         4 . The hospital shorts of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric panel comprises a left panel and a right panel, which are joined together at a back seam.  
     
     
         5 . A lower body modesty garment for a patient, the modesty garment comprising, in combination: 
 a flat fabric panel having a left end and a right end, wherein the fabric panel can be at least partially rolled up to facilitate positioning the fabric panel underneath a supine patient;    a first fastener means for releasably attaching an upper portion of the fabric panel left end to an upper portion of the fabric panel right end medially over the patient's lower torso;    a second fastener means for releasably attaching a lower portion of the fabric panel right end to the fabric panel to form a right inseam; and    a third fastener means for releasably attaching a lower portion of the fabric panel left end to the fabric panel to form a left inseam.    
     
     
         6 . The modesty garment of  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the first, second, and third attachment means comprises a plurality of snaps.  
     
     
         7 . The modesty garment of  claim 5 , wherein the fabric panel further comprises an elongate sheath, and wherein the modesty garment further comprising a drawstring that extends through the elongate sheath.  
     
     
         8 . The modesty garment of  claim 5 , wherein the fabric panel comprises a left panel and a right panel that are joined together at a back seam.