Publication:

Cost analysis of reprocessing of gloves

Background Gloves are an integral component of standard precautions. Reprocessing and reuse of gloves are undertaken in hospitals in resource- limited settings to reduce the cost incurred in the procurement of single use disposable gloves. There is no standardized procedure to ascertain the integrity of gloves after reprocessing. The aim of the study was to calculate the cost of reprocessing gloves vis a vis use of disposable gloves.

Methods A prospective observational study was conducted in the CSSD. The cost incurred in all the steps of reprocessing of gloves in terms of manpower involved, consumables used and the cost of operating the equipment was determined. The overall cost was then divided by the number of total pairs of gloves reprocessed during the study period to arrive at the cost of reprocessing per pair of gloves.

Results Total cost incurred for running the machinery, manpower involved and consumables used was calculated to be Rs. 716,649. Number of pairs of gloves reprocessed was 42900. The total cost incurred in reprocessing one pair of glove in this setting was calculated to be Rs. 16.7 per glove, whereas the cost of sterile disposable surgical gloves was Rs. 11.50 during the study period.

Conclusions The results of the present study show that the reprocessing of gloves is not cheaper than using disposable gloves. The healthcare institutions should carefully look into the sterilisation techniques vis a vis the cost of using the disposable gloves.