According to data from the National Health Commission of China, the infection rate within hospitals averages between 4% and 8%, with approximately 30% of these infections attributed to the transmission of bacteria by healthcare workers' hands. Therefore, the importance of hand hygiene in preventing and controlling nosocomial infections is self-evident.

Hand hygiene encompasses critical steps for healthcare workers, including handwashing, antiseptic handrubbing, and surgical hand disinfection. Specifically, handwashing involves the use of soap (or liquid soap) and running water to clean the hands, removing dirt, debris, and some harmful microorganisms from the skin surface. Antiseptic handrubbing, on the other hand, involves rubbing the hands with a rapid-drying hand sanitizer to reduce the number of transient bacteria on the hands. Surgical hand disinfection is more stringent, requiring healthcare workers to thoroughly clean their hands with soap (or liquid soap) and running water before surgery, followed by the use of a hand disinfectant to further eliminate or kill transient bacteria and reduce the number of resident bacteria.

Studies have shown that during routine nursing procedures, the bacterial contamination level on healthcare workers' hands typically ranges from (10³-10⁵) cfu/cm²; however, during busy periods, the bacterial load can double, with nurses' hands contaminated with up to 10⁶ cfu/cm² when suctioning patients. If healthcare workers do not perform hand hygiene after contacting patients or contaminants, the total bacterial count on their hands will exceed the standard by 100%.

It is noteworthy that approximately one-third of nosocomial infections can be effectively controlled through strict hand hygiene measures. After washing hands with soap, the bacterial count on healthcare workers' hands can be reduced by 65%-84% compared to before the procedure, and the more frequently hands are washed, the more significant the reduction in bacteria. Therefore, enhancing awareness of hand hygiene is crucial for controlling nosocomial infections.

Can wearing gloves replace hand hygiene?

— No.

New gloves also have a certain risk of damage and may break during operations due to force, stretching, or sharp object punctures. If hand hygiene is not performed before the procedure and the glove breaks, the bacteria on the operator's hands may contaminate the patient's exposed areas; conversely, if hand hygiene is not performed after the procedure and the glove breaks, the patient's bacteria may contaminate the operator's hands.

Glove perforation is a common cause of occupational exposure and is often overlooked. Due to the hydration of gloves, prolonged surgery may lead to perforation and water infiltration of rubber gloves. Performing surgical hand disinfection before wearing gloves during surgery can further reduce the number of bacteria on the hands, preventing bacteria from penetrating the gloves due to glove hydration and contaminating the patient's surgical site; performing hand hygiene after removing gloves can reduce the risk of pathogens penetrating the gloves due to glove hydration and contaminating the hands.

Gloves are typically made of materials such as rubber, latex, which are non-breathable. When gloves are worn, a humid environment is easily formed inside the gloves. If there are bacteria or other microorganisms on the hands, in a warm and humid environment, the reproduction speed of microorganisms will accelerate, increasing the risk of aseptic operations. Therefore, performing hand hygiene after removing gloves is also crucial for protecting the health of healthcare workers.

Wearing gloves does not replace hand hygiene, but that does not mean wearing gloves has no effect in reducing contamination within hospitals.

In fact, proper wearing of sterile gloves is one of the important measures to reduce nosocomial contamination. As a physical barrier, sterile gloves can effectively isolate direct contact between healthcare workers' hands and patients or contaminants, thereby reducing the risk of cross-infection. Especially during high-risk procedures such as surgery, invasive examinations, or treatments, the use of sterile gloves is particularly important.

In addition, sterile gloves can also reduce the number of bacteria on healthcare workers' hand skin to some extent. Although gloves themselves cannot kill bacteria, by reducing direct contact between the hands and the environment, they can slow down the growth rate and reduce the transmission opportunities of hand bacteria. This helps to further lower the risk of nosocomial infections.

From both the perspectives of protecting patients and healthcare workers themselves, wearing gloves and hand hygiene are indispensable preventive measures. Healthcare workers should flexibly apply these two measures in their practical work to jointly contribute to reducing the risk of nosocomial infections.