A comparison of infection rates during skin cancer excisions using nonsterile vs sterile gloves: A prospective randomized pilot study.

Background: Standard surgical skin excision is a routine outpatient procedure commonly performed in Dermatology practice to treat nonmelanoma and melanoma skin cancer. Use of sterile gloves during this procedure has been the standard of care in most Dermatology offices.

Objective: To determine whether the incidence of infection rates was affected when using nonsterile gloves (NSG) instead of sterile gloves (SG) during standard skin excisions in an outpatient Dermatology clinic setting.

Methods: This prospective, subject-blinded, single-center trial randomized 93 patients presenting for routine skin cancer excisions into two groups. In the first group, 53 excisions were performed with NSG and in the second group 53 excisions were performed with sterile gloves. Degree of wound inflammation and wound infection at 48-72 hours postprocedure was measured.

Results: One hundred and six total wounds were included. Zero of 53 were infected in the NSG group, and 0/53 were infected in the SG at the initial screening 48-72 hours postexcision procedure (P = 0.99). The average wound inflammation score was 0.321 for the NSG group and 0.245 for the SG group.

Conclusions: Our study suggests that NSG are safe to use for simple excisions of cutaneous skin cancers in an outpatient dermatology clinic setting.