Disposable gendine antimicrobial gloves for preventing transmission of pathogens in health care settings

Background Transmission of organisms by contact of gloves with surfaces following contact with a pathogen source has been recognized as an important vector for pathogenesis of health care-associated infections. In these cases, the gloves protect the wearer from contact with the pathogenic organisms; however, this personal protection can facilitate the wearer unwittingly becoming a carrier of the pathogens from one location to another. A novel gendine (combination of chlorhexidine and gentian violet) antiseptic coating for the external surface of the glove was developed as a potential intervention to prevent this mode of transmission. Methods We characterized the ability of the coating to rapidly kill bacterial and fungal pathogens within 1 minute of contact with the glove surface. The International Organization of Standardization 22196 concentrated inoculum contact testing methodology was followed. Results The gendine-coated gloves were able to fully eradicate multidrug-resistant organisms included methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus , vancomycin-resistant enterocci , multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase producing. In addition, Candida albicans , Candida glabarata , and 2 pathogenic Escherichia coli strains commonly associated with invasive gastroenteritis were also fully eradicated within 1 minute of contact. The gendine coating did not adversely impact the finish or integrity of the disposable gloves. Conclusion The highly efficacious gendine-coated antimicrobial gloves potentially provide an additional means of protection against horizontal transmission of common pathogens in a hospital setting.