The durability of examination gloves used on intensive care units (original) (raw)
Related papers
BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has created global shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as medical exam gloves, forcing healthcare workers to either forgo or reuse PPE to keep themselves and patients safe from infection. In severely resource-constrained situations, limited cycles of disinfection and extended use of gloves is recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conserve supplies. However, these guidelines are based on limited evidence.MethodsSerial cycles of hand hygiene were performed on gloved hands using alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) (six and ten cycles), 0.1% sodium hypochlorite (bleach) solution (ten cycles), or soap and water (ten cycles) on three types of latex and three types of nitrile medical exam gloves, purchased in the United States and India. A modified FDA-approved water-leak test was performed to evaluate glove integrity after repeated applications of these disinfecting agents. 80 gloves per disinfectant-glove t...
The misuse and overuse of non-sterile gloves: application of an audit tool to define the problem
Journal of Infection Prevention, 2015
Background: The use of clinical gloves has become routine in the delivery of healthcare, often for procedures for which they are not required, their use may increase the risk of cross-contamination, and is generally not integrated into hand hygiene audit. This paper describes a small-scale application and validation of an observational audit tool devised to identify inappropriate glove-use and potential for cross-contamination. Methods: Two observers simultaneously observed the glove-use during episodes of care in an acute hospital setting. The inter-rater reliability (IRR) of the audit tool was measured corrected for chance agreement using kappa. Results: A total of 22 of episodes of care using gloves were observed. In 68.6% (24/35) of procedures there was no contact with blood/body fluid; in 54.3% (19/35) glove-use was inappropriate. The IRR was 100% for eight of 12 components of the tool. For hand hygiene before and after glove removal it was 82% (Kappa = 0.72) and 95% (Kappa = 0.87). Conclusions: In this small-scale application of a glove-use audit tool we demonstrated over-use and misuse of gloves and the potential for cross transmission on gloved hands. The audit tool provides an effective mechanism for integrating glove-use into the audit of hand hygiene behaviour. http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/JIPS
Modified gloves: A chance for the prevention of nosocomial infections
American Journal of Infection Control, 2018
Background: Non-sterile gloves primarily serve as a barrier protection for health care workers (HCWs). However, pathogens may often contaminate the skin of HCWs during glove removal; therefore, pathogens may be further transmitted and cause nosocomial infections. Methods: A field study was conducted comparing contamination rates when using standard gloves or a new modified product equipped with an additional flap (doffing aid) for easier removal. Gloves were removed after bathing gloved hands in an artificial fluorescent lotion. The number of contamination spots was then visually examined using ultraviolet light. Results: There were 317 individuals who participated in this study: 146 participants (104 nurses and 42 physicians) used standard gloves, whereas 171 participants (118 nurses and 53 physicians) used the modified product. Use of the modified gloves instead of the standard product (15.8% vs 73.3%, respectively; P < .001) and being a physician rather than a nurse (29.5% vs 47.7%, respectively; P = .003) were the only independent risk factors for reduction of contamination. Conclusions: This study shows that the modified product could, at least in vitro, significantly reduce the rate of hand and wrist contamination during removal compared with standard gloves. By this, it may significantly improve the overall quality of patient care when used on the wards directly at the patient's site.
Journal of IMAB - Annual Proceeding (Scientific Papers), 2021
Purpose: Health care-associated infections (HCAIs) are considered infections that are contracted by the patient in connection to the medical service of another disease. The mechanism of transmitting microorganisms via contact is the most important and common one of disease transmission. This research aims to monitor activities requiring hand disinfection and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) by the nurses in a real hospital environment. Material and methods: The research is held in May 2019 via a secretly structured monitoring in natural conditions at four wards in the University Hospital Kanev Ltd, Ruse, Bulgaria, on randomly selected weekdays. Results: A total of 320 procedures of the nurse's daily activity are being monitored, which are connected to infections with both blood and body fluids, as well as the risk of looking after patients who are unable to look after themselves. In the Ward of Orthopedics and Traumatology, gloves are being used in all of the monit...
“The Dirty Hand in the Latex Glove”: A Study of Hand Hygiene Compliance When Gloves Are Worn
Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 2011
Background and Objective. Wearing of gloves reduces transmission of organisms by healthcare workers' hands but is not a substitute for hand hygiene. Results of previous studies have varied as to whether hand hygiene is worse when gloves are worn. Most studies have been small and used nonstandardized assessments of glove use and hand hygiene. We sought to observe whether gloves were worn when appropriate and whether hand hygiene compliance differed when gloves were worn. Design. Observational study. Participants and Setting. Healthcare workers in 56 medical or care of the elderly wards and intensive care units in 15 hospitals across England and Wales. Methods. We observed hand hygiene and glove usage (7,578 moments for hand hygiene) during 249 one-hour sessions. Observers also recorded whether gloves were or were not worn for individual contacts. Results. Gloves were used in 1,983 (26.2%) of the 7,578 moments for hand hygiene and in 551 (16.7%) of 3,292 low-risk contacts; gloves ...
American Journal of Infection Control, 2006
Background: Hospital-acquired infection often occurs because of lapses in accepted standards of practice on the part of health care personnel. The aim of this study is to attract attention on poor hospital infection control practice in venepuncture and use of tourniquets and emphasize the importance of hand hygiene. Methods: Overall compliance with hygiene during usage of tourniquets and routine patient care before and after implementation of a hospital infection control measures was evaluated. Results: According to the questionnaire, only 26.9% of respondents always washed their hands both before and after venepuncture. In the second step of the study, based on direct observation, hands were washed both before and after venepuncture on only 41 (45.1%) occasions. Failure to remove gloves after patient contact was observed on 23.1% occasions. Conclusion: Our survey reveals poor infection control practice in hand hygiene, glove utilization, and usage of tourniquets and the implementation of infection control measures produced a moderate improvement in compliance with them.
Infection, 2009
Background: The Hand Hygiene Liaison Group and Epic Projects (Pratt et al., J Hosp Infect 47[Suppl A], 2001) have asked specifically for further trials of educational interventions to improve hand decontamination compliance and infection control in the hospital setting. This study investigates the efficacy of a 'clean practice protocol' (CPP), derived from international guidelines, to improve compliance of infection-control practices by surgical teams in a large UK teaching hospital. Methods: The key infection-control activities were summated to form the CPP presented here. An undisclosed infection-control audit of consultant-led ward-rounds from breast, gastrointestinal, vascular, urological, and intensivecare departments was performed. The audit results were presented to the surgical teams, after which an education/ awareness program was implemented. A repeat undisclosed audit was performed 3 months later. In both audits, infection-control activities were recorded together with consultation time and any patient infective complications. Results: The surgical teams performed as follows in the initial audit: hand decontamination (28% of consultations), correct use of gloves (2%), instrument cleaning (0%), garment contamination (49%), and notes contamination (34%). Introduction of the CPP education program significantly improved hand decontamination to 87% (p < 0.0001), the correct use of gloves/aprons to 50% (p < 0.0001), and overall infection-control practice from 63% to 89% (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The introduction of the CPP significantly improved compliance of hand decontamination, correct usage of gloves and aprons, and overall infection-control in a large teaching hospital. The CPP is a highly effective auditing and educational tool that can be readily adapted for use in hospitals globally to monitor and improve infection-control practices.
Providing care to patients in contact isolation: is the systematic use of gloves still indicated?
Swiss Medical Weekly, 2021
This article reviews the available evidence on the effectiveness of gloves in preventing infection during care provided to patients under contact precautions, and analyses the risks and benefits of their systematic use. Although hand hygiene with alcohol-based handrub was shown to be effective in preventing nosocomial infections, many publications put the effectiveness and usefulness of gloves into perspective. Instead, literature and various unpublished experiences point towards reduced hand hygiene compliance and increased risk of spreading pathogens with routine glove use. Therefore, hospitals should emphasise hand hygiene in their healthcare staff and, instead of the routine use of gloves when caring for patients under contact precautions, limit their use to the indications of standard precautions, i.e., mainly for contact with body fluids. Wide and easy access to alcohol-based handrub and continual teaching are essential. If such conditions are met and adherence to hand hygiene...