Hands Deserve Better: global clinical consensus recommendations on surgical gloving practice

BACKGROUND: Surgical gloves provide an important aseptic barrier between the patient and the surgical team, helping to prevent the transfer of micro-organisms. The overall objective of the Hands Deserve Better project was to determine the best available evidence for key fundamental principles of surgical gloving practice and to inform operating room staff on the importance of optimal gloving practice to ensure provider and patient safety. METHODS: Four parallel systematic reviews of the literature were undertaken in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement, using four distinct research questions regarding glove fit, double gloving, indicator gloves, and the association of glove damage to glove change frequency. The Delphi technique for health sciences was used to develop consensus statements based on the systematic reviews. RESULTS: Across the systematic reviews, 10,137 articles were identified; 7,979 abstracts were screened, of which 411 full-text articles were assessed for inclusion. Twelve potential consensus statements were drafted based on the 258 included articles. The expert panel reached consensus on 10 clinical practice recommendations regarding glove use during surgical procedures. CONCLUSIONS: This comprehensive review on surgical gloving issued 10 consensus recommendations regarding glove fit, double gloving, use of indicator gloves, and glove change frequency.