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

Area of Science:

• Surgical Safety
• Infection Prevention
• Medical Device Integrity

Context:

• Surgical gloves are critical barriers preventing microorganism transmission between patients and staff.
• Glove integrity and changing intervals vary based on surgical procedure and staff role.
• Current recommendations for glove changes are often imprecise, leading to late or no changes and increased perforation risks.

Purpose:

• To establish objective recommendations for surgical glove change intervals.
• To analyze the relationship between glove wearing time, perforation rates, and surgical procedures.
• To identify knowledge gaps regarding optimal glove change protocols across different surgical specialties.

Summary:

• A literature search in MEDLINE and PubMed revealed imprecise recommendations for surgical glove changes, ranging from 30 to 180 minutes.
• In visceral surgery, perforation rates correlated with wearing time, suggesting change times of 90 minutes for surgeons/first assistants and 150 minutes for nurses/second assistants.
• These findings are specific to visceral surgery and cannot be generalized without further evidence.

Impact:

• Highlights the need for evidence-based guidelines to optimize surgical glove change protocols.
• Aims to reduce surgical site infections and enhance patient and healthcare worker safety.
• Underscores the necessity for further research correlating surgical procedure types with glove perforation rates.