Punctures in Surgical Gloves

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1993. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Punctures in Surgical Gloves

Lancet (Great Britain) (10/16/93) Vol. 342, No. 8877, P. 984 (Lane, T. Vaughan et al.)

The practice of "double gloving" among orthopedic surgeons serves a dual purpose, according to Lane et al. Surgeons are concerned about infection risks for the patient and, at the same time, double gloves provide added protection for the staff should one glove be punctured. Wearing extra gloves effectively reduces the perforation rate in the inner glove. A simple method for detecting punctured gloves is to wear colored inner gloves to visualize the ingress of blood or body fluids. If a puncture is identified, the surgeon can then take the necessary precautions. Lane et al. tested a prototype colored glove worn beneath a standard one. After being used during 25 orthopedic operations in which 148 outer gloves were used by three surgeons, all gloves were examined by water pressure for punctures. Twenty-nine punctures were discovered, 23 of which were noticed by the surgeon during the medical procedure. Lane et al. conclude that the inner glove is helpful to surgeons in identifying punctures and indicating when it is necessary to change gloves.

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