Glove use is an important element of infection control efforts, according to research published in the American Journal of Infection Control.
Researchers observed healthcare workers' gloving and hand hygiene practices at three U.S. academic hospitals for six months, and interviewed 25 providers to gauge their hand washing compliance knowledge.
Here are the key details to know:
1. Gloving compliance before entering contact precaution rooms was 78 percent.
2. Observed hand hygiene compliance before gloving was at 42 percent.
3. Some healthcare workers said gloves provide enough protection.
4. Healthcare workers said they were 100 percent compliant before gloving.
"Hand hygiene and glove use are highly intertwined in clinical practice and should be considered jointly in infection prevention improvement efforts," researchers concluded.
