As the healthcare industry evolves, the pressure to improve patient outcomes and meet compliance standards continues to increase.
Perforation of surgical gloves are common, occurring up to 43% of cases.1 Up to 70% of nurses and doctors have experienced a needlestick or sharps injury and 44% occur in the operating room.2
Double gloving is advocated by many international health and perioperative organizations. Understanding the evidence-based rationale for double gloving in perioperative practice is key to improving compliance outcomes.
REFERENCE
1. Driever R, Beie M, Schmitz E, et al. Surgical glove perforation in cardiac surgery. Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2001; 49:328–330.
2. International Safety Center. U.S. EPINet Sharps Injury and Blood and Body Fluid Exposure Surveillance Research Group. Sharps Injury Data Report for 2020. Report available at https://internationalsafetycenter.org/exposure-reports/. Updated 2020. Accessed February 1, 2022
3. Opinion of the scientific committee on medical products and medical devices on ‘The protection offered by natural rubber latex devices (medical gloves and condoms) against transmissible diseases’. European Commission. Health & Consumer Protection Directorate-General. October 2003.