How do gloves prevent infections?

Gloves act as a barrier that protects health care workers and clients. Gloves protect service providers from coming into contact with the potentially infectious microorganisms that can be found in blood, other body fluids, and waste. During examinations and clinical procedures, gloves also protect clients from infections that can be caused by the microorganisms normally found on the skin of service providers.

Health care workers should wear the proper type of gloves whenever they might come into contact with blood and other body fluids (for example, during service provision, handling or cleaning used instruments and other items, housekeeping activities, etc.) and whenever they perform a clinical procedure or an examination that might put the client at risk of infection.

Only clean gloves prevent infections in clients

If the gloves used during an examination or clinical procedure are not clean and free of contamination, they can actually spread infections to clients. To avoid exposing one client to potentially infectious microorganisms acquired from another client, be sure to use fresh gloves every time you examine a different client.

Note: Gloves are difficult to properly clean and reprocess. Where resources allow, always use disposable gloves (gloves that are used once and thrown away) instead of reusable gloves. (More information about cleaning and processing gloves appears in the Instrument Processing module of this course.)

Who is at risk?

Staff: Gloves protect your hands from contamination with infectious microorganisms. During client examinations or invasive procedures, service providers may be exposed to potentially infectious blood and body fluids. A service provider who does not wear gloves in these situations can easily become infected through a cut, puncture, or cracked skin. Housekeeping staff and the staff who clean and process instruments and other items that may be contaminated during a clinical procedure have the same risk of exposure as the service provider who performs the procedure.

Clients: Gloves protect clients from microorganisms on the service provider's skin. The usually harmless microorganisms found on the skin of a service provider may cause infection when introduced into an area of the body where they are not normally found, such as into a client's internal organs during surgery. These normal flora can also cause infection in an immunocompromised person who is especially susceptible to infection. Throughout the day, every health care worker's hands accumulate transient flora that can also lead to infections in clients.

Community: If their hands are contaminated, or if they become infected from exposure to bloodborne diseases, staff members can spread infections to their partners, friends, or family members. Infections acquired by both clients and staff can lead to increased infections throughout the community, since these infections can continue to be passed on to others. Wearing gloves can reduce this risk.

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