An independent group of 13 experts participated in the consensus. The group members were selected based on their expertise in relation to the research questions and/or background in operating theatre clinical practice.
Announcing the launch of Hands Deserve Better: global clinical consensus
Standardising gloving practice has the potential to improve clinical outcomes and enable greater patient and clinician safety in the operating theatre.
Announcing the launch of the Hands Deserve Better:
global clinical consensus recommendations on surgical gloving practice, in the Journal of Hospital Infection.
The publication includes evidence-based consensus on four focus areas:
-
Glove fit
For optimum comfort and performance, every team member should have a glove fitting before scrubbing into the operating theatre for the first time, and be refitted when anything changes and have correctly fitting gloves in appropriate styles available to them.¹ -
Double gloving
Double gloving should be considered in surgery for the purpose of reducing the risk of aseptic barrier breach and exposing surgical team members to risk.¹ -
Indicator systems
When double gloving, all scrubbed surgical team members should utilise an indicator inner glove, for all surgeries to facilitate glove perforation detection.¹ -
Glove damage and change protocol
In any procedure, the surgical team may consider changing gloves at regular intervals of 60–120 minutes. Extra changes and/shorter intervals are recommended for certain specific procedures and, of course, following a perforation.¹
Are you ready to follow surgical gloves best practice?
Let us help you
Disclosures
-
Mölnlycke Health Care provided funding, research support and medical writing for this project. The research was product agnostic and does not attempt to compare different manufacturers’ gloves. The study investigators assessed and analysed results independently. The views expressed are those of the authors and all authors had full access to all of the data in this study.
Explore consensus related podcasts and articles
-
Gloves | 1 min read Creating a Consensus document for surgical gloving best practice podcast (part 1)
The first part of this podcast discusses the need to create a Consensus document with recommendations for surgical gloving best practice.
-
Gloves | 1 min read Creating a Consensus document for surgical gloving best practice podcast (part 2)
Part two of this podcast discusses the role of the Consensus work in overcoming the challenges of implementing change.
-
Gloves | 2 min read Protocol to practice: Single to double gloving
How to implement a double gloving protocol in practice
-
Gloves | 1 min read Balancing practice and theory in the OR
Swedish OR nurses’ preventive interventions to reduce bacterial growth and SSIs, and to increase comfort in patients undergoing surgery
-
Gloves | 1 min read OR sustainability: A holistic system understanding
How do surgical gloves affect sustainability and the global environment?
-
References
1. Enz A, Boermeester M, Chatterjee A et al Hand Deserve Better: global clinical consensus recommendations on surgical gloving practice Journal of Hospital Infection, 2026; 172, 115-128