Impact of Changing Gloves during Cesarean Section on Postoperative Wound Infection

Abstract

Objective: To compare the frequency of postoperative wound infection with or without changing gloves in women undergoing cesarean section.

Methodology: This comparative study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore, from August 2023 to February 2024. Women aged 18–40 years, with parity <5 and gestational age >32 weeks, undergoing cesarean section were included and randomly divided into two groups. In Group A, the surgical team changed gloves during the procedure, while in Group B, the cesarean section was performed without changing gloves. During follow-up, the cesarean wound was evaluated for healing. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 28.07 ± 6.67 years, and the mean BMI was 24.97 ± 3.88 kg/m². Overall, postoperative wound infection occurred in 13 (16.25%) patients—3 (7.5%) in the glove-changing group and 10 (25%) in the no-glove-change group—showing a statistically significant difference (p = 0.034).

Conclusion: Changing gloves during cesarean section significantly reduces the incidence of postoperative wound infection compared to not changing gloves.