Efficacy of double-gloving as a barrier to microbial contamination during total joint arthroplasty.
After ten total hip replacements in which a double-glove technique was used, 275 outer and inner gloves were tested for microbial contamination and for holes. The operating rooms were equipped with specially designed air-filtration mechanisms. The results indicated that the gloves that most frequently were contaminated were the ones used exclusively for draping. This finding suggests that using a separate pair of outer gloves only for draping is a valuable technique during total hip replacement.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the practice of using double gloves during a total joint-replacement procedure is accepted widely, there is little evidence that double-gloving actually decreases microbial contamination. The results of this study indicate that changing outer gloves at appropriate times during the procedure is indeed an important way to minimize contamination.
D000985:Antisepsis / Q000379:methods*; D001207:Asepsis / Q000379:methods*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D005932:Gloves, Surgical; D006622:Hip Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*