Time to Hang Up the Gloves: A Scoping Review of Evidence on Non-Sterile Glove Use During Intravenous Antimicrobial Preparation and Administration.

AIMS To systematically summarise evidence related to the use of non-sterile gloves when preparing and administering intravenous antimicrobials. DESIGN Scoping review. METHODS A rigorous scoping review was undertaken following Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) framework and the modified Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for scoping review guidelines (2018). Five databases and grey literature were included in the search. Literature published between 2009 and 2024 was included. DATA SOURCES Five databases (Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE, Scopus and Web of Science) and the grey literature were searched in February 2024. RESULTS Three studies were included; however, none directly addressed correct non-sterile glove use during intravenous antimicrobial preparation or administration in clinical practice. CONCLUSION We found no evidence to support the use of non-sterile gloves in intravenous antimicrobial preparation. There is an urgent need for rigorous research to inform the development of clear guidelines on non-sterile glove use to underpin evidence-based decision-making in nursing and other health professional education, improve patient outcomes, reduce healthcare costs and promote environmental sustainability in healthcare. IMPLICATIONS Inappropriate use of non-sterile gloves for preparing and administering intravenous antimicrobials hinders correct hand hygiene practices and increases healthcare-associated infections, healthcare costs and waste. IMPACT A critical gap in the existing evidence was a key finding of this review, highlighting the urgency for evidence-based guidelines to improve patient safety outcomes, reduce healthcare costs and promote environmental sustainability in healthcare. REPORTING METHOD This scoping review adhered to the relevant EQUATOR guidelines and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) reporting checklist. PATIENT OF PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION This study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct or reporting. TRIAL AND PROTOCOL REGISTRATION The protocol was registered on Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/QY4J2).