Gloves Reprocessing: Does It Really Save Money?

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Infection Control
• Cost Analysis

Background:

• Reprocessing and reusing gloves in resource-limited settings is a strategy to reduce healthcare costs.
• The economic viability of reprocessing disposable gloves requires careful evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To calculate the cost of reprocessing a pair of gloves.
• To compare the cost-effectiveness of reprocessing versus purchasing new disposable gloves.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective, record-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in a central sterile supply department.
• Costs associated with material and manpower for each reprocessing step were identified and calculated.
• The total reprocessing cost per pair of gloves was determined.

Main Results:

• The cost to reprocess one pair of surgical gloves was calculated at Indian Rupee (INR) 14.33.
• The cost of a new disposable surgical glove pair was INR 9.90.
• Sterilization alone accounted for INR 10.97 of the reprocessing cost.

Conclusions:

• Purchasing sterile, disposable, single-use gloves is more economical than reprocessing used gloves.
• Reprocessing gloves is not financially viable, even in resource-limited settings.
• The use of disposable gloves is further supported by infection control and healthcare worker safety considerations.