Question

Clean gloves have contact with clean sheets. Which statement is true?

a) Change gloves between tasks
b) Reuse gloves for efficiency
c) Use gloves only for dirty tasks
d) Clean gloves are always sterile

Answer 1

The correct practice when clean gloves contact clean sheets is to change gloves between tasks to prevent cross-contamination as gloves are not necessarily sterile and can pick up contaminants. Proper hand hygiene protocols are essential in healthcare to reduce transmission of microbes.

Step-by-step explanation:

When clean gloves come into contact with clean sheets, the correct practice is to change gloves between tasks. This is because gloves can become contaminated even during clean tasks and carrying potential contaminants to another task should be avoided. Reusing gloves would compromise this principle of infection control. Hence, clean gloves are not necessarily sterile, and proper handwashing is crucial in maintaining hygiene and preventing cross-contamination.

In health-care settings, handwashing should be thorough, especially after removing gloves and before and after any patient contact. Handwashing is necessary to significantly reduce the normal microbiota on the skin's surface, which in turn reduces the risk of transmitting these microbes during invasive procedures like surgery. Safety protocols, such as wearing gloves when working with cultures and disposing them in biohazard garbage afterwards, are instituted to enhance this practice.