Risk assessment of accidental exposure of surgeons to blood during orthopedic surgery. Are we safe in surgical gloves?

AIM To analyze tears in sterile surgical gloves used by surgeons in the operating theatre of the Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery Department, Copernicus Memorial Hospital, Łódź, Poland. MATERIALS AND METHOD This study analyzes tears in sterile surgical gloves used by surgeons by ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes. 1,404 gloves were collected from 581 surgical procedures. All gloves were tested immediately following surgery using the test method described in Standard EN455-1 (each glove was inflated with 1,000 ± 50 ml of water and observed for leaks for 2-3 min.). RESULTS Analysis of tears took into consideration the role of medical personnel (operator, first assistant, second assistant) during surgical procedure, the type of procedure according to ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes, and the elective or emergency nature of the procedure. The results of the study show that these factors have a significant influence on the risk of glove tears. Significant differences were observed in tear frequency and tear location depending on the function performed by the surgeon during the procedure. CONCLUSION The study proved that the role performed by the surgeon during the procedure (operator, first assistant, second assistant) has a significant influence on the risk of glove tearing. The role in the procedure determines exposure to glove tears. Implementing a double gloving procedure in surgical procedures or using single gloves characterized by higher tear resistance should be considered.