Failure to Change Gloves Among Nursing Assistants Spreads Infection

Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) fail to change gloves appropriately leading to the spread of various pathogens to patients and the environment.

Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) fail to change gloves causing the spread of dangerous pathogens in nursing homes, and long-term healthcare settings, reveals a new study.

The new study was published in the September issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the journal of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). //

Healthcare Workers Often Contaminate Their Skin While Removing Gloves, Gowns
It was surprising for the participants to see that they frequently contaminated themselves during personal protective equipment removal, said Dr. Curtis J. Donskey.

‘Training programs can be developed using adult learning principles and evidence-based instructional methods to improve glove use and prevent infection.’

CNAs are often the main providers of care in long-term care facilities (LTCFs), with significant patient contact. If a CNA uses gloves incorrectly, pathogens can easily be spread to patients and the environment, leading to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).

Researchers estimate that between 1.6 million and 3.8 million infections occur in LTCFs annually. Infections in LTCFs cause approximately 388,000 deaths per year and cost between $673 million and $2 billion annually.

"Gloves are an essential component of standard precautions, and proper use of gloves is a critical component of best practices to prevent HAIs," said Linda Greene, RN, MPS, CIC, FAPIC, 2017 APIC president.

Wearing Gloves After Hand Washing Leads to Fewer Infections Among Extremely Premature Babies
Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) medical staff wearing gloves after washing their hands transmitted fewer infections as they handled extremely premature babies.

"This is especially important in long-term care, where residents are more vulnerable to infection and stay for extended periods. Facilities must continually educate healthcare providers about the importance of appropriate glove use to prevent infection and monitor adherence to this practice."

In the first-of-its-kind prospective study by Deborah Patterson Burdsall, PhD, RN-BC, CIC, of the University of Iowa College of Nursing, researchers examined the degree of inappropriate glove use in a random sample of 74 CNAs performing toileting and perineal care at one LTCF.

Urine BPA Levels Higher in Individuals Handling Receipts Without Gloves
A new study published in JAMA found that individuals who handled receipts without wearing gloves had an increase in urine BPA levels than those who wore gloves

Inappropriate glove use defined as a failure to change gloves, and when surfaces were touched with contaminated gloves was frequently observed in this study.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends standard precautions requiring all CNAs to wear personal protective equipment, especially gloves, to avoid contact with blood, secretions, excretions, or other potentially infectious materials that may contain pathogens.

Gloves That Let You Talk
An Italian enterprising firm has come to the rescue of touchscreen owners with a pair of gloves they can talk to, who are faced with a dilemma - how to use their handset without freezing in winters.

CNAs must change gloves as a standard precaution at the following glove change points during patient care: when the gloves have touched blood or body fluids; after the CNA completes a patient task; after the gloves touch a potentially contaminated site; and in between patients.

"Glove use behavior is as important as hand washing when it comes to infection prevention," said lead study author Deborah Patterson Burdsall. "These findings indicate that glove use behavior should be monitored alongside hand hygiene. The observations should be shared with staff to improve behaviors and reduce the risk of disease transmission."

While CNAs wore gloves for 80 percent of touch points, they failed to change gloves at 66 percent of glove change points.

More than 44 percent of the gloved touch points were observed as contaminated, with all contaminated touches being with gloved hands. Of note, gloves were readily available on all units in public areas, shower rooms, patient rooms, and patient bathrooms to enhance availability and workflow.

To measure inappropriate glove use, the PI developed and validated the glove use surveillance tool (GUST), allowing them to record the type of surface, the sequence in which they touched surfaces during a patient care event, whether they wore gloves, and whether they changed gloves.

The frequency of contaminated gloved touches illustrates the significant potential for cross-contamination between patients and the healthcare environment from inappropriate glove use. This study supports the findings of earlier studies that describe inappropriate glove use by healthcare personnel.

Based on information from such studies, infection prevention staff and educators should develop training programs using adult learning principles and evidence-based instructional methods to improve glove use.

Source-Eurekalert