Antimicrobial Gloves Are a Simple Way to Reduce MDR Nosocomial Infections

Research done at the University of Texas on the effects of antimicrobial gloves reveals that they would reduced pathogen transmission, including E-coli and Staphylococcocus aureus, by at least 90% after long-term exposures to the pathogens, and by 100% after short-term exposures. Dr. Reitzel and his colleagues developed and tested a combination of antiseptics, which they used to coat disposable latex and nitrile exam gloves. They then tested for how much bacteria stuck on the coated glove and original glove when exposed to bacteria for different lengths of time. These gloves would be ideal for use in clinical settings and the food industry. Each year one million of the hospitalized patients in the US develop a nosocomial infection (infections which are a result of treatment in a hospital), which are primarily transmitted from healthcare worker to patient. "Bacterial infections are also responsible for 30% of all cases of food poisoning each year; 325,000 of these patients require hospitalization and approximately 5000 patients die."
I think these gloves are a pretty good idea, but I am surprised that they were not developed earlier.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/545204