[What is the appropriate time-interval for changing gloves during surgical procedures]

Abstract

Background: Surgical gloves are an important phys-ical barrier between surgical staff and the pa-tient. They enable prevention of transmission of microorganisms in both directions, from the sur-geons' hands to the patient and vice versa. Besides the duration of wearing and the role within the surgical team, the integrity of gloves depends on the type of surgery performed. Therefore indicator systems and specific material enforcements of gloves at predilection sites are under discussion and furthermore, recommendations have been made for double-gloving during trauma surgical procedures. Because of varying recommendations regarding the changing interval of gloves, changes are often performed rather late or even not at all. The consequence is an increasing rate of glove perforations and an incalculable risk of infections.

Material and methods: To elaborate an objective recommendation for the time-interval of glove change, the medical literature was searched in the data bases MEDLINE and PubMed.

Results: Various imprecise recommendations were expressed for the time point of glove changing rang-ing from 30 min to 180 min. Only in visceral surgery perforation rates had been correlated with the glove wearing time and the following recommendations of glove changing time points had been made: for the surgeon and first assistant at 90 min and for scrub nurses and second assistants at 150 min from the start of the operation.

Conclusion: Because the perforation rate and thus the time for glove changing depend on the type of the surgery, the results found in visceral surgery can not be transferred to other surgical special-ties without additional scientific evidence. Further studies are needed that correlate the types of surgical procedures with specific perforation rates in order to provide basis for solid -recommendations helping to improve patients' and medical staff's safety.