SLR - November 2023 - McCray
Title: Risk of wound infection with use of sterile versus clean gloves in wound repair at the Emergency Department: A systematic review and meta-analysisReference: Tan YY, Chua ZX, Loo GH, Ong JSP, Lim JH, Siddiqui FJ, Graves N, Ho AFW. Risk of wound infection with use of sterile versus clean gloves in wound repair at the Emergency Department: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Injury. 2023 Sep 9;54(11):111020. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2023.111020. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37713965.
Level of Evidence: Level 1
Scientific Literature Review
Reviewed By: Shanika McCray, DPM
Residency Program: New York College of Podiatric Medicine. New York, NY
Podiatric Relevance: This is systematic review and meta-analysis performed to determine if using sterile gloves lowers the risk of wound infection when used for wound repair in the emergency department opposed to clean gloves. A systematic review and meta-analysis allow the researchers to provide a more inclusive and comprehensive conclusion on using sterile versus nonsterile gloves. This is relevant in the field of podiatry, as podiatrists commonly treat open wounds, fractures, and lacerations in the ED. The results of this would help inform best practices in glove use during emergency wound care.
Methods: 4 bibliographic databases were searched for randomized controlled trials and non-randomized studies of intervention that compared the use of sterile vs. clean gloves in the ED and reported incidence of post-operative infection. A total of 7 studies and 3227 patients were included in the review. The primary outcome measure was reported incidence of wound infection
Results: Of 3227 patients, 7.2%) patients in the intervention group (clean/no gloves) and 8.3% patients in the control group (sterile gloves) had postoperative wound infections. Overall relative risk was 0.86 (95% CI,0.67–1.10, Iww2=3.6%),and of high evidence certainty (GRADE).
Conclusions: This article concluded that the use of sterile gloves in the ED for wound repair offered no additional protection from infections. Wound infections can lead to morbidity, mortality, and increase in healthcare cost and burden to patients. This article contributes to the field of podiatry by providing evidence and insight to improve practice management.