title: Investigation of incidence and risk factors for surgical glove perforation in small animal surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify incidence and risk factors for surgical glove perforation in small animal surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surgical gloves (n = 2132) worn in 363 surgical procedures.
  
  
  METHODS
  All gloves worn by operative personnel were assessed for perforation at end-procedure using a water leak test. Putative risk factors were recorded by a surgical team member. Associations between risk factors and perforation were assessed using multivariable multi-level random-effects logistic regression models to control for hierarchical data structure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At least 1 glove perforation occurred in 26.2% of procedures. Identified risk factors for glove perforation included increased surgical duration (surgery >1 hour OR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.12-2.86), performing orthopedic procedures (OR = 1.88; 95% CI = 1.23-2.88), any procedure using powered instruments (OR = 1.93; 95% CI = 1.21-3.09) or surgical wire (OR = 3.02; 95% CI = 1.50-6.05), use of polyisoprene as a glove material (OR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.05-2.39), and operative role as primary surgeon (OR = 2.01; 95% CI = 1.35-2.98). The ability of the wearer to detect perforations intraoperatively was poor, with a sensitivity of 30.8%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a high incidence of unrecognized glove perforations in small animal surgery.
authors.affiliation: University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Galina M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: Noel M M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Moens
authors.forename: Ameet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oblak
authors.forename: Thomas W G
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: Brigitte A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Brisson
authors.forename: Alim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nazarali
authors.forename: Cate
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dewey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005932:Gloves, Surgical / Q000662:veterinary*; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D013522:Surgery, Veterinary