Double gloving

Several recent studies have shown that "double gloving" (wearing two surgical gloves on each hand) may reduce the risk of contamination of the provider's hands with blood and other matter during major surgical procedures. However, professional medical organizations and government regulatory bodies do not agree on whether double gloving is an appropriate practice. Each health facility should make its own policy on this issue.

Advantages

• Double gloving may provide added protection in procedures where there is a greater-than-usual chance of tearing or puncturing gloves.
• Although single-use gloves should not be reused, in cases of extreme supply shortages, it is sometimes necessary for providers to process and reuse disposable gloves. These processed gloves are more likely to contain tiny holes or to tear easily. In these cases, double gloving may protect providers from exposure because of damaged or brittle gloves.

Disadvantages

• Some doctors find that double gloving decreases their sensitivity and blood circulation.
• In many low-resource settings, double gloving may be problematic due to inadequate supplies of gloves or the additional cost of wearing two pairs of gloves at once.

In low-resource settings, careful consideration should be given to the question of double gloving. Policymakers should take into account whether gloves are reused, whether supplies are scarce or unreliable, and whether the risk of contracting hepatitis B or HIV is high before deciding whether double gloving is an appropriate practice at their facility.

©2004 EngenderHealth