The only standard method currently available to evaluate medical examination gloves against bacteria is the ASTM D7907. In this standard method that is widely practiced, bacteria is inoculated directly onto the glove surface through what is called the âwet transfer methodâ. Through this, the efficacy of the glove is evaluated against a wet inoculum. However, when considering real life situations in the medical area, the possibility of bacteria transfer may occur in more ways than one. Bacteria is not only present âwetâ, but they can also dry on various surfaces of which will be frequently touched by medical professionals.
Therefore, in order to assess this alternative scenario, TECOLAB has specifically designed an in-house method based on the standard ASTM D7907 with some modifications. Instead of inoculating the gloves with bacteria directly, this method involves inoculation through what is called the âdry transfer methodâ, by allowing bacteria to dry on a metal carrier surface and then pressing the glove onto the carrier, mimicking the real-life action.
Through this in-house method, we can determine one of the most important infection control aspect in healthcare facilities which is evaluating the possibility of bacteria transmission between surfaces when touched by the glove.
The infographic below shows a brief insight on how we perform this in-house method.
