Decreasing infectious morbidity in cesarean delivery by changing gloves.

OBJECTIVE To assess whether changing the entire surgical team's gloves intraoperatively, after delivery of the placenta, would reduce the rate of postcesarean wound infection. STUDY DESIGN Women who underwent cesarean delivery were randomized to a group where the surgical team changed the surgical gloves after delivery of the placenta or to a control group, where surgical gloves were not changed during the cesarean procedure. RESULTS Ninety-two patients were randomized to 2 groups of 46 patients each. The group where the surgical team changed their gloves had significantly less serosanguineous drainage 24 hours after surgery (3 vs. 8 patients, 8.3% vs. 22.2%, P = .2, RR 2.7, CI 0.7, 12.4) and fewer wound infections (2 vs. 9 women, 5.5% vs. 25%, P = .05, RR 4.5, CI 0.982, 29.8). CONCLUSION Obstetricians may decrease the number of postcesarean wound infections by having the entire team change surgical gloves after delivery of the placenta.