Double gloving is the practice of wearing two pairs of surgical gloves to reduce the risk of infection and cross-contamination during surgery. It is recommended for procedures that involve sharp objects, such as orthopedic or dental surgery, as well as for surgeries that last longer than two hours. Double gloving can protect the patient from exposure to the healthcare professional’s blood or body fluids, and vice versa. It can also prevent glove perforations, which are often unnoticed and can compromise the sterility of the surgical field. Several studies have shown that double gloving does not impair the surgical performance, dexterity, or tactile sensation of the healthcare professional.
In this post, we address the pieces of evidence on the potential benefits of Double loving in surgery:
In a Cochrane review found that:
- Double gloving protects both patients and healthcare professionals from infection and perforation.
- Indicator gloves help detect perforations faster and more accurately than single or standard double gloves.
- Other types of gloves, such as glove liners, knitted gloves, and triple gloving, increase the perforation risk compared to standard double gloves.
In another research by Zhang et al. found that double gloving can prevent infection and perforation during surgery. It recommends that surgeons wear two pairs of gloves for safety.
Resources:
Tanner J, Parkinson H. Double gloving to reduce surgical cross‐infection. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD003087. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD003087.pub2.
Zhang Z, Gao X, Ruan X, Zheng B. Effectiveness of double-gloving method on prevention of surgical glove perforations and blood contamination: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Adv Nurs. 2021;77(9):3630-3643. doi:10.1111/jan.14824
