Nonsterile Glove Use

Abstract

In acute care settings with low-risk of infection transmission, discontinuing contact precautions (i.e., gloves and gown) may result in similar rates of hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and may lower the risk of hospital-acquired vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), compared to scenarios in which such precautions were employed. Rates of late-onset infections in a neonatal intensive care unit were similar when standard infection control precautions were used compared with universal glove use. Two guidelines recommend that nonsterile gloves should be worn for nonsterile procedures when it is anticipated that there will be contact with blood, body fluids, non-intact skin, mucous membranes, lesions, or hazardous drugs and chemicals; for environmental cleaning; and when contact precautions for infection control are in effect.