title: Antibacterial activity of a sterile antimicrobial polyisoprene surgical glove against transient flora following a 2-hours simulated use.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A surgical glove will protect surgeons and patients only if the glove's integrity remains intact. However, several studies have demonstrated that undetected micro-perforations of surgical gloves are common. Because of the possibility of surgical glove puncture, an antimicrobial surgical glove was developed. The aim of this laboratory based experimental study was to assess the antibacterial efficacy of the interior chlorhexidine-gluconate (CHG)-coat of an antimicrobial synthetic polyisoprene surgical glove by using a standardized microbiological challenge.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen healthy adult participants donned one antimicrobial surgical glove and one non-antimicrobial surgical glove randomly allocated to their dominant and non-dominant hand following a crossover design. During a 2-h wear time, participants performed standardized finger and hand movements. Thereafter, the interior surface of excised fingers of the removed gloves was challenged with 8.00 log10 cfu/mL S. aureus (ATCC 6538) or K. pneumoniae (ATCC 4352), respectively. The main outcome measure was the viable mean log10 cfu counts of the two glove groups after 5 min contact with the interior glove's surface.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When comparing an antimicrobial glove against an untreated reference glove after 2-h simulated use wear-time, a mean reduction factor of 6.24 log10 (S. aureus) and 6.22 log10 (K. pneumoniae) was achieved after 5 min contact.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate that wearing antibacterial gloves on hands does not negatively impact their antibacterial activity after 2-h of wear. This may have a potential benefit for patient safety in case of glove puncture during surgical procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department for Trauma Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leitgeb
authors.affiliation: Department for Trauma Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Rupert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schuster
authors.affiliation: Science & Technology Innovation Centre, Ansell Shah Alam, 40000, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Bit New
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Yee
authors.affiliation: Science & Technology Innovation Centre, Ansell Shah Alam, 40000, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Pui Fong
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Chee
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 110, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Julian-Camill
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Harnoss
authors.affiliation: Department for Hospital Hygiene, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Starzengruber
authors.affiliation: Department for General, Visceral, and Thoracic Surgery, Marienhospital Stuttgart, Böheimstrasse 37, D-70199, Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schäffer
authors.affiliation: Institute for Skin Integrity and Infection Prevention, School of Human & Health Sciences, R1/29 Ramsden Building, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, HD1 3DH, UK. o.assadian@hud.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Ojan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Assadian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D058491:Bacterial Load / Q000187:drug effects*; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005932:Gloves, Surgical / Q000382:microbiology*; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; C010882:chlorhexidine gluconate; D002710:Chlorhexidine