Faculty Collaboration Database

Evaluation of an innovative antimicrobial surgical glove technology to reduce the risk of microbial passage following intraoperative perforation. Am J Infect Control 2011 Mar;39(2):98-103

Date

09/25/2010

Pubmed ID

20864217

DOI

10.1016/j.ajic.2010.05.026

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-79952312364   17 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Surgical gloves provide a protective barrier for patients and members of the surgical team. Although glove integrity is important in an era of blood-borne pathogens, little data exist on bacterial passage after glove perforation. This study evaluated the impact of antimicrobial surgical gloves in reducing microbial passage after glove puncture in a model of wound contamination.

METHODS: Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538) and Brevundimonas diminuta (DSM 1639) were used to prepare a standardized suspension for testing bacterial passage after glove puncture in volunteers wearing single-layer gloves (group A), double-layer gloves (group B), or antimicrobial trilayer gloves (group C). After exposure periods of 5, 10, 30 and 45 minutes, the outer test gloves were removed and microbial passage was measured on the inner surface of the base gloves. Multiple repetitions (5 or 6) were performed at each sampling time.

RESULTS: Microbial passage at 5-, 10-, 30-, and 45-minute exposures were analyzed both separately and combined (5 and 10 minutes and 30 and 45 minutes). No difference was observed in microbial passage between group A and group B at the 10-, 30-, and 45-minute exposures for S aureus, whereas a significant reduction in microbial passage was observed in group C compared with group A (P ≤ .05 to < .005) at the 5-, 30-, and 45-minute exposures for both S aureus and B diminuta. When timed groups were combined (5 and 10 minutes and 30 and 45 minutes), a significant reduction (P ≤ .01 to ≤ .005) in microbial passage of S aureus and B diminuta was observed in group C compared with both group A and group B.

CONCLUSION: These findings represent the first evidence that microbial passage across surgical gloves can be reduced significantly using an innovative antimicrobial glove technology.

Author List

Daeschlein G, Kramer A, Arnold A, Ladwig A, Seabrook GR, Edmiston CE Jr

Author

Gary R. Seabrook MD Chief, Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Anti-Infective Agents
Caulobacter
Gloves, Surgical
Humans
In Vitro Techniques
Intraoperative Period
Staphylococcus aureus
Wound Infection