Do double gloves protect against contamination during cannulation of blood vessels? A prospective randomized study

Abstract

Background: Undamaged medical gloves protect medical personnel from contact with physiological fluids of the patient. Thus they protect the assistance provider from hand skin contamination with potentially infectious biological material. The aim of the study was to evaluate the occurrence of pierce, perforations or damage of medical gloves during cannulation of blood vessels. Materials and Methods: In the prospective randomized study 303 pairs of gloves, used during cannulation of blood vessels under simulated resuscitation, were analyzed. Gloves were tested by the water leak test. Results: The water test revealed 44 cases of damage to the gloves used during cannulation of blood vessels. Significant differences were noted in the frequency of damage to both the outer and single pairs of gloves and the inner pair of gloves. Conclusions: The study showed that the use of double gloves provides a higher level of security for a paramedic than the use of a single pair of gloves, however, double gloves reduce the manual dexterity of a paramedic. A large number of damages to gloves are not noticed by medical personnel during surgery. Med Pr 2014;65(2):271–278

Keywords

• gloves
• double gloving
• perforation
• needle stick protection
• occupational medicine