Risk of microbial transmission by reusing gloves after alcohol-based hand hygiene

Area of Science:

• Healthcare-associated infections
• Microbiology
• Infection control

Background:

• Glove disinfection and hand hygiene are crucial for healthcare workers, environmental protection, and economic benefits.
• Assessing the safety of gloved hands is essential for effective infection control practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the risk of microbial transmission by comparing residual microorganisms on gloved versus bare hands after patient contact.
• To determine the effectiveness of alcohol-based hand rub in reducing microbial load on gloved hands.

Main Methods:

• Researchers compared microbial loads on single-gloved, double-gloved, and bare hands after patient rounds and alcohol-based hand rub.
• Hand imprints were collected before and after rounds, cultured, and colony-forming units (cfu) were quantified.
• Colony distribution was semi-quantitatively assessed across different hand regions.

Main Results:

• Gloved hands (single and double) showed significantly higher median cfu counts than bare hands (9.00 vs 3.50, P=0.028).
• cfu counts increased on both single- and double-gloved hands after patient contact (P=0.044 and P=0.001, respectively).
• Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii was detected on double gloves, indicating potential transmission of multi-drug-resistant organisms.

Conclusions:

• Gloved hands harbor more residual microbes than bare hands, even after alcohol-based hand rub.
• The reuse of gloves increases microbial load and the risk of transmitting multi-drug-resistant organisms.
• Findings underscore the importance of proper glove use and disposal to prevent healthcare-associated infections.