The types of sharps exposure among medical personnel are significantly higher than in previous years, especially during surgical operations, due to blade cuts, needle stab wounds during suturing, etc. We have discussed this issue, but there is always a question that bothers me and I am thinking: Are there any better measures to prevent sharps injuries or reduce stab wounds during surgery? For example, is it possible to wear double gloves as a way to reduce the risk of occupational exposure to the surgeon and also to protect the patient?

PPE can prevent accidental occupational exposure during blood spills, but it cannot prevent needlestick injuries. The use of double gloves during surgery can reduce the likelihood of puncture of the inner glove by 60-70%.

Thus, double-layer gloves provide a better barrier to direct contact between the operator's hand and the patient's surgical site, reducing the risk of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens.

Glove perforation is a common cause of occupational exposure and is often overlooked. Due to hydration, rubber gloves can also become perforated during extended surgery. Although double gloves do not "protect" against sharp object injuries, they reduce the risk of penetration of the inner glove by a factor of 6 and reduce the amount of blood penetration due to the shunting effect of double gloves.

The double-layer glove prevents the perforation of the glove due to hydration caused by prolonged surgery, reduces the risk of penetration of the liner glove, reduces the shunting effect, and therefore reduces the risk of surgical site infection while protecting the operator from occupational exposure.

A. Wearing method: after surgical hand disinfection, wear the first layer of sterile gloves, and then wear the second layer of sterile gloves, pay attention to prevent glove contamination.

Wear a double layer of gloves method, there is literature on experience: in order to facilitate the wearing of double layer of gloves, someone needs to assist, such as instrument nurses to assist, first to wear the first layer of gloves flip, folded put on the sterile table, that is, the reverse side of the glove (smooth side) outward, the front of the glove (with a textured non-slip surface) inward. The second layer of gloves, do not need to flip, so as to ensure that between the two layers of gloves is smooth face smooth surface, not astringent easy to wear.

Second, the role of wearing a double layer of gloves (from Professor Hu Guoqing courseware).
(1) Reduce the risk of glove perforation.
(2) Reducing the risk of patient surgical site infection.
(3) Preventing the operator from being exposed to blood borne pathogens.
(4) Minimize blood exposure during needle stick injuries.

Third, everything has positive and negative aspects of pros and cons, wearing double gloves, in surgical operations will reduce the sensitivity of the operation, affecting some fine operations, some doctors are not used to wear double gloves; at the same time, the more gloves used, the more infectious waste generated, how to rational use of gloves, but also to avoid waste of resources, worth exploring.