From the Guidelines
False, gloves should be worn when there is a risk of contact with blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions, mucous membranes, non-intact skin, or contaminated items, and removed before leaving the patient's room to prevent the spread of pathogens. The correct approach to prevent the spread of infection is to perform hand hygiene before entering the room, don gloves when necessary for specific patient care activities, remove gloves before leaving the room, and perform hand hygiene again 1. This is supported by guidelines that recommend wearing medical gloves when there is a potential for contacting blood, saliva, or mucous membranes, and removing them promptly after use to avoid transfer of microorganisms to other patients or environments 1. Some key points to consider include:
- Wearing gloves can reduce the risk of personnel acquiring infections from patients and prevent healthcare worker flora from being transmitted to patients 1.
- Gloves should be removed before leaving the patient's room to prevent the spread of pathogens to other areas of the healthcare facility.
- After removing gloves, proper hand hygiene should be performed to prevent the transmission of pathogens.
- The sequence of hand hygiene, gloving, and removal of gloves is crucial in preventing cross-contamination and reducing the transmission of pathogens in healthcare settings 1. It is essential to follow the recommended guidelines for glove use and hand hygiene to minimize the risk of infection transmission in healthcare settings.
From the Research
Use of Personal Protective Equipment
- The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential in preventing the spread of infections in healthcare settings 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
- PPE includes gloves, gowns, goggles, masks, and hand hygiene products.
Gloves in Infection Prevention
- Wearing gloves can help prevent the spread of infection, but the evidence on their effectiveness is limited 2, 4.
- A study found that wearing gloves and gowns did not have a significant effect on protecting healthcare workers from COVID-19 infection 2.
- However, another study suggested that double-gloving may lead to less viral or bacterial contamination compared to single gloving 4.
Protocol for Wearing Gloves
- There is no specific evidence to support wearing gloves before entering a patient's room and after leaving the room as a standard protocol.
- However, it is generally recommended to wear gloves when interacting with patients or their bodily fluids to prevent the spread of infection 3, 5.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides guidelines for the use of PPE, including gloves, in healthcare settings 4.
Best Practices for Infection Prevention
- Practicing thorough hand hygiene and using proper PPE can help reduce the risk of infection transmission 2, 5.
- It is essential to follow proper protocols for donning and doffing PPE to minimize the risk of contamination 4.
- Training and education on the proper use of PPE are crucial for healthcare workers to ensure effective infection prevention and control 4, 5, 6.