Use of a Double Gloving Technique to Decrease Cross-Contamination by Anesthesia Providers

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to determine the impact of double gloving during the induction of general anesthesia on the incidence of cross-contamination by the anesthesia provider. In a representative sample of anesthesia providers, induction sequences were initially evaluated using the providers' standard technique (group 0). The same providers were reevaluated after being educated on the double gloving technique (group 1). One month later the providers were reevaluated to identify which ones continued the double gloving technique (group 2). For each sequence, all providers were asked to complete a general anesthesia induction following a standard sequence (n = 30). Every anesthesia workstation was cleaned before each induction using the same supplies, and a black light was used to iden-tify any contamination. The workstations included the anesthesia circuit/face mask, breathing bag, anesthesia machine (adjustable pressure-limiting valve/vaporizer), medication cart, intravenous (IV) stopcock, and IV fluid bag. Each group's workstation was evaluated before and after induction for foreign body changes. The 3 groups were compared using a related-samples Friedman test, which demonstrated that the double gloving technique significantly decreased contamination in most areas studied (P < .01). Use of a double gloving technique decreased cross-contamination by greater than 50%.

Keywords: Anesthesia induction; contamination; double gloving; general anesthesia; intraoperative infection control.