Direct-gloving strategy without prior hand hygiene by healthcare professionals better for infection prevention: JAMA

The findings raise important questions about the necessity of the current hand hygiene guidelines in healthcare settings. It challenges the convention that strict hand hygiene compliance before donning gloves is always the most effective method for preventing infection.

However, it's important to note that the study did identify a potential downside to the direct-gloving strategy. It was associated with increased total bacteria colony counts and greater detection of pathogenic bacteria in the emergency department. In contrast, colony counts decreased in pediatrics units. These findings suggest that the impact of direct gloving could vary depending on the specific healthcare context.

The implications of this research are significant. It opens the door for healthcare facilities to reconsider their hand hygiene policies, potentially adopting a direct-gloving approach in certain situations. However, the study also highlights the need for further research and the importance of tailoring infection prevention practices to the specific needs of different hospital units.

Source:

Thom, K. A., Rock, C., Robinson, G. L., Reisinger, H. S., Baloh, J., Li, S., Diekema, D. J., Herwaldt, L. A., Johnson, J. K., Harris, A. D., & Perencevich, E. N. (2023). Direct Gloving vs Hand Hygiene Before Donning Gloves in Adherence to Hospital Infection Control Practices. In JAMA Network Open (Vol. 6, Issue 10, p. e2336758). American Medical Association (AMA). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.36758