Sterile versus non-sterile gloves during cystoscopy: A randomized prospective single-blind study

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Infectious Disease Prevention

Background:

• Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common concern following cystoscopy.
• The use of sterile gloves during cystoscopy is a debated practice for preventing UTIs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the incidence of UTI symptoms in patients undergoing cystoscopy with sterile versus non-sterile gloves.
• To evaluate the necessity of sterile gloves in routine cystoscopy procedures.

Main Methods:

• Randomized, prospective, single-blind study design.
• Inclusion of adult patients (>20 years) undergoing cystoscopy in outpatient clinics.
• Allocation of patients into sterile glove group (n=1258) or non-sterile glove group (n=1376).

Main Results:

• UTI symptoms were reported by 0.48% in the sterile group and 0.44% in the non-sterile group.
• No statistically significant difference in UTI symptom incidence between the two groups (p=0.88).

Conclusions:

• The use of sterile gloves is not necessary for routine cystoscopy.
• Non-sterile gloves are adequate for preventing UTIs during cystoscopy procedures.