[katieHaylor (OP)]

Donald asks:

How permeable are surgical gloves to the microorganisms on the hands of surgeons? Are there reproduced studies that show hand washing scrupulously before surgery vs light cleaning is reliable in reducing modern post op infection rates, since washing does not sterilise the hand and complete bacterial regrowth occurs within an hour.

 It seems to be a cultural ritual vs easily proved science.

What do you think?

[chris]

Surgical gloves provide a good barrier against microbes; the integrity of the gloves is tested by temporarily inflating them at the time of manufacture: gas molecules are a lot smaller than microbes, so if the gloves can be inflated without a pressure drop they won't allow microbes across.

Handwashing categorically saves lives. Semmelweis proved this with his hand-hygiene study in the 1860s. The point is that handwashing reduces the bacterial burden on the skin; this drives down the risk of transfer of skin microbes onto surfaces that might contact the patient and transmit diseases during procedures.

It is also important to bear in mind that surgical gloves are also worn to protect the operator as well as the patient. Blood-borne viruses carried by the patient, like hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV, can be transmitted during surgical procedures if the skin of the surgeon is breached by pre-existing cuts or scrapes, or a new sharps injury. In both cases, the presence of a latex glove on the affected surface reduces the risk of transmission.

[Bored chemist]

To a rough approximation, gloves and condoms are made of the same material and serve the same function (The prevention of transfer of living cells and viruses)
Both are tested at the time of manufacture either by inflating them or by filling them with water, putting them in a bath of water and seeing if an electrical current can be passed through them.

They work very well, though they are potentially fragile which is why "double gloving" is used in some cases.

[chris]

why "double gloving" is used in some cases

Surgeons also do this because they can then readily change gloves if the top layer becomes soiled during "dirty surgery" or they encounter contamination. The topmost glove layer can be discarded and a fresh glove applied over the under layer; at no time, though, is skin exposed to the operating field, which keeps things as sterile as possible.

[Zer0]

@Mods

Y not merge dis thread wit dis 👇 one...

https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=74725.0

Dis can be d head & the linked ☝ one can b d tail.