Gloves - What Are They For?

Gloves – What are they for? Disposable gloves are recommended for use during contact with bodily fluids, blood, mucous membranes or broken skin of patients.

59 of gloves
After contact 59% were contaminated with the same bacteria infecting the patient. Gloves should be worn following a risk assessment of the task to be carried out: When to wear gloves
Handling bodily fluids
Dressing wounds, removing remo dressings
Phlebotomy/cannulation
Invasive procedures
Cleaning tasks
Handling disinfectants
Oral hygiene When not to wear gloves

Studies have shown that wearing gloves is associated with a marked reduction in bacterial al contamination of the hands. However, if gloves are not removed after every use they become a second skin and may expose patients to the risk of cross infection. A recent observation study into the use and misuse of gloves involving a 980 bed teaching hospital found:
Gloves were re worn when not required for 42% % of task undertaken
Compliance with hand hygiene after removal of gloves was 51.5%
82% of contacts requiring aseptic techniques were performed with gloves that had not been removed af after previous care.


Social contact with patients
Bed bathing patients(unless patient has a infectious conditions e.g. MRSA)
Handling linen(unless contaminated with bodily fluids)
Entering an isolation room(unless task involves exposure to bodily fluids, contaminated objects, or there are specific instructions to do so)
Leaving isolation room/patient’s bedside. References: Girou, E., Chai, S. H. T., Oppein, F., Legrand, P., Ducellier, D., Cizeau, F. and Brun-Buisson, Brun C. (2004) Misuse of gloves: the foundation for poor compliance with hand d hygiene and potential for microbial transmission? Journal of Hospital Infection.. Vol 57 (2) May 18th, pp 162-169.