[Sterile gloves are not necessary in minor surgery]

According to the practice guideline of the Dutch Workingparty on Infection Prevention (WIP) sterile gloves have to be worn during minor surgery by the general practitioner. This is based on the microbiological principles of Spaulding and is not supported by other evidence. Current literature suggests that using clean, nonsterile gloves, instead of sterile gloves, does not result in a greater risk of wound infection in primary closed wounds after minor surgery. Also, in daily practice, only 24% of general practitioners actually wear sterile gloves. We therefore propose to modify the guideline: using clean, nonsterile gloves during minor surgery is sufficient.