A colleague at a hospital-based blood donor site comments that because of hospital requirements for universal precautions, their staff is required to wear gloves when collecting blood donors. In order to work efficiently in donor collections, staff may collect two or three donors simultaneously. Her hospital has begun a 'hospital-wide' initiative to reduce infection risks by improving hand-washing and changing of gloves between patients. She reports that many of their blood donors (many of them hospital employees) voice concern when they see blood donor staff move between donors without changing gloves. Based on these concerns she wants to know how other facilities address the changing of gloves between blood donors?

The Editor notes that the issue of whether donor center staff should wear gloves at all was covered in an earlier issue (2001) on this forum, and merits review.

ADDENDA June 4, 2004

The following comments were received.

1. A colleague in Rhode Island reports that they change gloves between donors and whenever blood gets on the gloves.

ADDENDA June 6, 2004

2. A colleague from an independent blood center in Texas (not hospital-based) reports that their policy is that staff members drawing donors must change gloves between donors, even if taking care of two or three donors simultaneously and going from bed to bed.  The Texan admits that this may seem like excessive glove use, but they have found that from a public perception standpoint that it was the desirable thing to do.  Apparently their donors expect them to wear gloves and also to change gloves between donors, so they do.

ADDENDA June 7, 2004

3. A colleague in Southern California reports that in her opinion gloves are for the protection of the staff, not the healthy donors. Consequently, at her center they do not require changing of gloves between donors, with the exception of the autologous donors, who are really patients.

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Ira A. Shulman, MD
CBBS e-Network Forum Editor & Moderator