Can Gloves and Gowns Prevent the Spread of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria?

Universal glove-and-gown use in the ICU did not decrease the combined acquisition rates of MRSA and VRE.

Hospitals are now taking multiple approaches to prevent the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). One well-defined strategy has been contact precautions: placement of patients known to be colonized or infected with such organisms in private rooms and the use of gloves and gowns by all healthcare workers having contact with them. However, carriage of resistant organisms is not always recognized.

To address this concern, investigators undertook a prospective, cluster-randomized trial involving 20 medical and surgical intensive care units (ICUs) in hospitals across the U.S., comparing universal glove-and-gown use with use only for patients k…

Reviewing Author

Richard T. Ellison III, MD

Disclosures

Consult/Advisory BoardAcurx Pharmaceuticals, LLC;

Grant/Research SupportDoctors Company Foundation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Richard T. Ellison III, MD

Disclosures

Consult/Advisory BoardAcurx Pharmaceuticals, LLC;

Grant/Research SupportDoctors Company Foundation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Can Gloves and Gowns Prevent the Spread of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria?

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Reviewing Author