Why is it important to avoid using compromised gloves, and when should they be replaced?

• A. They are expensive; replace only at end of shift.
• B. They make the hand too warm; replace when uncomfortable.
• C. They fail to protect against contamination; replace if torn, punctured, between tasks, or after exposure.
• D. They increase grip strength; replace when they feel sticky.

Answer: (C)

In this context, the main idea is that gloves are the critical barrier preventing contamination of the patient and the sterile field. If that barrier is compromised, the risk of introducing pathogens rises, so timely replacement is essential.

Gloves should be replaced whenever the integrity of the barrier could be breached: if a glove is torn or punctured, if you are switching from one task to another or moving to a different patient or procedure (between tasks), and after any exposure to blood, body fluids, or other potentially infectious materials. These situations momentarily allow contaminants to reach the hands or sterile surfaces, so changing gloves restores the protective barrier and helps maintain asepsis.

The other ideas—gloves being expensive, becoming uncomfortable warmth, or affecting grip strength—don’t address the safety priority. Even if gloves feel warm or sticky, or seem expensive, the critical concern is whether the barrier is intact and whether there has been exposure to contaminants. Those factors drive the decision to replace, not comfort or cost.