Medical professionals must use sterile gloves while performing surgical procedures, states the Osteopathic Medical Board of California. Sterile gloves are used once and then thrown away.
Sterile gloves should also be worn during procedures requiring an aseptic technique, according to the WHO Best Practices for Injections and Related Procedures Toolkit. The aseptic technique helps prevent the spread of infection by keeping germs away from the treatment site, reports Healthline. In addition to surgical procedures, medical professionals use the aseptic technique during vaginal deliveries, dialysis administration and the placement of catheters and intravenous lines. If a health professional does not adhere to approved aseptic techniques, the patient has a risk of developing an infection of the urinary tract or blood.
Something sterile is free from germs. Using sterile gloves during surgery prevents the spread of infection in patients and helps medical personnel avoid contact with infectious organisms. Before putting on a pair of sterile gloves, a health professional must wash and dry his hands thoroughly. Each sterile glove has a folded wrist cuff to grasp when putting on the gloves. This cuff helps prevent contamination of the gloves. Once sterile gloves are on both hands, the health professional must avoid touching non-sterile items. If contact with a non-sterile item occurs, the gloves must be replaced with a fresh pair of sterile gloves.
