The risks and challenges of surgical glove failure.

The relationship between infection control standards and surgical gloving practices is an important issue in combating infectious disease. For their own and their patients' protection, health care personnel must rely on the barrier qualities of gloves more than ever before. Both surgical and examination gloves fail frequently, which puts health care providers and patients at risk of acquiring fluid-borne pathogens. This paper discusses current guidelines, the risk of infection by viral and bacterial pathogens, controversial issues involving gloving practices, and recommendations to improve infection control practices.