Medical Garment and Method

Abstract

A medical garment is provided for use with children patients during and following intravenous medical therapies and method for using the same. The garment includes fabric fitted for the upper torso of a patient with an easily detachable flap exposing an access opening located over the chest area to allow care providers with easy access to medical ports implanted in the patient's chest where most such ports are located for pediatric patients. An storage pocket is positioned inside and adjacent to the opening for easy, safe and discreet storage of tubing and small medical devices. The exterior surfaces of the flap and/or interior surfaces of the pocket may include ornamentation and/or design elements appropriate for children's clothing. The garment is designed to look like a regular piece of children's clothing which is comfortable for children to wear and which helps restore a feeling of normalcy to a child patient.

1 . A medical garment preferably for use with children and for providing easy access to implanted ports, catheters and/or tubing used for administration of fluids and/or medication, the garment comprising:
 a garment body configured for covering the torso, the body having front, back and sides with openings for arms and defining exterior and interior surfaces;   one more openings at the front side configured for providing easy access to ports, catheters, and/or tubing implanted at the chest region of the patient;   one or more flaps for covering the one or more openings, each flap having and exterior and interior surface and two or more adjacent sides attachable with the exterior surface of the front side of the garment body;   one or more storage pockets for storing excess tubing and other small medical apparatus at a location easily accessible to care providers by accessing through the one or more openings;   wherein each of the one or more storage pockets has an opening, front and back exterior surfaces and front and back interior surfaces; and   wherein at least one of the one or more storage pockets is located immediately adjacent to the one or more openings at the interior surface of the garment body;   
     
     
         2 . The medical garment of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the one or more adjacent sides of the one or more flaps is fixedly attached to the garment body and the remaining flap sides are removably attachable to the garment body such that the one or more openings are covered when the removably attachable flap sides are attached. 
     
     
         3 . The medical garment of  claim 1  wherein the one or more adjacent sides of the one or more flaps is removably attachable to the garment body along the corresponding edges of the one or more openings. 
     
     
         4 . The medical garment of  claim 1  wherein one or more flaps is comprised of a piece of material folded over and fixedly attached to one another to form a front side and a back side. 
     
     
         5 . The medical garment of  claim 1  wherein the front side of the one or more flaps has design ornamentation consistent with that of children's clothing. 
     
     
         6 . The medical garment of  claim 1  wherein the back side of the one or more flaps has design ornamentation consistent with that of children's clothing. 
     
     
         7 . The medical garment of  claim 4  wherein the back side of the one or more flaps is removably attachable to the exterior surface of the garment body along two or more sides of the one or more openings. 
     
     
         8 . The medical garment of  claim 1  wherein the one or more storage pockets are comprised of a piece of material folded over and fixedly attached at opposite sides to define a pocket with top pocket opening, closed sides and bottom and having front and back exterior surfaces and front and back interior surfaces. 
     
     
         9 . The medical garment of  claim 8  wherein the edge along the front side of the one or more storage pocket openings is fixedly attached to the interior surface of the garment body below the one or more openings. 
     
     
         10 . The medical garment of  claim 1  wherein the one or more storage pockets is fixedly attached to the interior surface at the front side of the garment body along the bottom most edge of the one or more openings. 
     
     
         11 . The medical garment of  claim 1  wherein the one or more storage pockets is removably attached to the interior surface at the front side of the garment body. 
     
     
         12 . The medical garment of  claim 1  wherein one or more interior surfaces of the one or more storage pockets has design ornamentation consistent with that of children's clothing. 
     
     
         13 . A method for using the garment of  claim 1  comprising the steps of
 positioning a garment having one or more access openings, one or more flaps and one or more storage pockets on a patient such that the one or more access openings are located at the patient's chest region having implanted port, catheter and/or tubing; 
 storing excess tubing and/or medical apparatus needed for treatment in one or more storage pockets located immediately adjacent to the one or more access opening as needed; and 
 covering the one or more access openings by attaching one or more flaps over one or more access openings.