Glove perforation rate in open lung surgery

Area of Science:

• Surgical Safety
• Infectious Disease Prevention
• Medical Device Performance

Background:

• Open lung surgery involves rib cage access, potentially increasing glove perforation risk.
• High glove perforation rates are a concern in surgical specialities with limited access.
• Standard surgical protocols may not adequately address the unique risks in thoracic procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively evaluate glove perforation rates in thoracic surgeons during thoracotomies.
• To identify factors influencing glove perforation during open lung surgery.
• To assess the efficacy of double gloving in preventing cutaneous blood exposure.

Main Methods:

• 100 thoracotomies were prospectively studied, with surgeons and assistants wearing double standard latex gloves.
• Data collected included perforation numbers, locations, causes, operation duration, and rib resection.
• Analysis correlated perforation rates with surgeon seniority, maneuvers, and operation specifics.

Main Results:

• A 78% overall operation perforation rate was observed, with 150 outer and 19 inner glove perforations.
• Double gloving prevented cutaneous blood exposure in 78% of operations and 87% of perforations.
• Perforation rates were significantly higher with rib resection and operations exceeding 2 hours (P<0.05).

Conclusions:

• The high perforation rate (78%) in thoracic surgery necessitates enhanced safety measures.
• Double gloving is highly effective in preventing surgeon blood exposure during thoracotomies.
• Routine double gloving is recommended for thoracic surgeons to mitigate infectious disease transmission risks.