Abstract
The objective of this study was to explore the utility of nitrile gloves as a replacement for latex surgical gloves in recovering bacteria from the hands. Two types of nitrile gloves were compared to latex gloves using the parallel streak method. Streaks of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus were made on tryptic soy agar plates, and the zones of inhibition were measured around pieces of glove material placed on the plates. Latex gloves produced a mean zone of inhibition of 0.28 mm, compared to 0.002 mm for nitrile gloves (p<.001). While the parallel streak method is not intended as a quantitative estimate of antimicrobial properties, these results suggest that nitrile may be a viable alternative to latex in glove juice sampling methods, since nitrile avoids the risk of latex exposure.
Highlights
Hand hygiene is widely recognized as the most important means of preventing infection
Standardized methods are used to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of these products by regulatory and governmental agencies prior to approval. [2,3,4,5] Methods to demonstrate efficacy include using the pads of the fingers from test subjects or the recovery of bacteria using the ‘‘glove juice method’’ in which organisms are recovered from hands placed in oversized gloves containing sampling fluid
The three types of gloves tested in the study were: 1) Acclaim Latex gloves, 2) KIMTECH PURE G3 Sterile STERLING Nitrile Gloves (Product no. 11828, Kimberly-Clark Professional, Roswell, GA), and 3) KIMTECH PURE G3 Sterile
Summary
Hand hygiene is widely recognized as the most important means of preventing infection. With increasing concern about the burden of healthcare-associated infections and the development of antibiotic resistant organisms, improving hand hygiene by health care workers has been identified as a major patient safety initiative throughout the world [1]. [2,3,4,5] Methods to demonstrate efficacy include using the pads of the fingers from test subjects or the recovery of bacteria using the ‘‘glove juice method’’ in which organisms are recovered from hands placed in oversized gloves containing sampling fluid. [3] World Health Organization guidelines on hand hygiene programs recommend ongoing studies to evaluate and amend protocols to obtain valid estimates of product efficacy [1] The sampling fluid is formulated to remove bacteria from the skin while neither promoting, nor inhibiting bacterial growth. [3] World Health Organization guidelines on hand hygiene programs recommend ongoing studies to evaluate and amend protocols to obtain valid estimates of product efficacy [1]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
