PPE is an acronym for Personal Protection Equipment. This type of equipment can include face masks, gloves, visors, eye protection, and protective clothing. The goal of PPE is to protect medical personnel when treating patients with highly contagious and dangerous diseases. PPE protects medical staff from contracting infections and from passing those infections along to other ill patients. Typically, medical staff will change PPE often throughout the day. After contact with an infected patient, the PPE is no longer safe and must be removed and replaced with new, sterilized PPE. In surgery, for example, surgeons and supporting staff will dress up in sterilized PPE. Upon completion of the operation, the PPE will be discarded. This ensures patient safety and also protects medical staff from contracting diseases from ill patients they are treating.