Evaluation of glove integrity after multiple washes with disinfectant

In an academic setting due to financial constrain, it is not uncommon during non-surgical procedures dental students and clinical supervisors wash their gloved hands with disinfectants in between patients or when touching on non-contaminated objects. Whether this practice could cause any deterioration of the glove and expose clinicians and patients to infectious micro-organisms was a concern. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of multiple washes of gloved hands with a disinfectant on the integrity of the gloves. Methods: Three brands of commonly used gloves in a dental school were tested for leaks after multiple washes with a disinfectant. Thirty pairs of each type of gloves were subjected to 0, 1, 5, 10, 20 and 30 washes with a disinfectant solution at a 5-minute interval between each wash. After each washing cycle, the gloves were filled with 1L of water and hanged for 2 minutes to observe any signs of water leaks. Results: The results showed that the type of gloves and number of washes were significantly associated with the leakage rates (p