Gloves and disease transmission

[mshultz]

Have you noticed a reduction in direct contact disease transmission since glove usage was mandated? My own experience with this is as follows:

I noticed that I was getting a minor sore throat after dental exams from my former (deceased) dentist. One day, after washing his hands, he picked up a dust bunny from the floor, threw it into the trash, and then started his exam on me without rewashing his hands (yuck!). I remember getting a sore throat after that exam, too.

After glove use was mandated, I no longer got sore throats. The latex gloves did have an unpleasant sulfur taste, however.

Did warts and cold sores spread between patients and healthcare workers back in the pre-glove days, not to mention more serious diseases?

[meownsmile, BSN, RN]

Im sure they did. Even with a scrub most dentists went from one patient to the next. Imagine everything that got under the fingernails and were transferred to the next patient.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Two words come to mind when I think of providing patient care without donning gloves: herpetic whitlow.

[mshultz]

Thanks for the responses. Although the news is always reporting about some new disease ready to spread and kill millions of us, it is my belief that in general, things continue to get better. I like seeing healthcare workers and fast food employees wearing gloves, and am convinced that it does help cut down on disease transmission.