- 81% believe high quality gloves impact patient outcomes; 
- 92% agreed high quality gloves improve safety of clinicians;
- Survey demonstrates importance surgeons place on high quality gloves in 
protecting against infection and patient safety;
- For more information go to https://www.molnlycke.com/biogel/ 

95% of surgeons have either been personally affected by a needlestick injury or 
have seen a colleague experience one, increasing the risk of infection, a new 
global survey of surgeons has found. 

     Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/998246/Molnlycke_Logo.jpg 

Clinician safety
An estimated two million needlestick injuries occur among health workers each 
year, resulting in increased exposure to HIV, Hepatitis C and other blood-borne 
viruses.  Needlestick injuries occur when a needle or other sharp instrument 
accidentally penetrates the skin, yet the underreporting to occupational health 
departments is well established.  The survey revealed 93% of surgeons think 
that high quality gloves reduce the chance of exposure to blood-borne viruses 
and 83% said the quality of gloves affects their sense of being protected from 
needlestick injuries.    

Patient safety
Health care-associated infections (HAIs) are the most frequent adverse event in 
healthcare delivery worldwide.  Hundreds of millions of patients are affected 
by HAIs worldwide each year, leading to significant mortality rates. Of every 
100 hospitalized patients, an estimated seven patients in developed countries 
will acquire at least one HAI.  

On the topic of patient safety, 81% of surgeons believe high quality gloves 
impact overall patient outcomes and 89% agreed that high quality gloves improve 
patient safety in the operating theatre. When asked about glove failure during 
an operation, 78% of surgeons responded that it increases the risk of surgical 
site infections.   

The survey – the first of its kind undertaken – was conducted by SERMO for 
Mölnlycke. It looked at key opinions from 510 surgeons across six countries 
relating to infection prevention and the role of high quality gloves in 
improving patient and clinician safety.   

Commenting on the survey findings, John Timmons, Clinical Staff Nurse and 
International Medical Director, said: 
“Each year, millions of surgeons and their teams risk exposure to life 
threatening blood-borne viruses and this ground-breaking survey highlights the 
value that surgeons across the globe place on high quality gloves. Surgeons 
clearly recognise their role in both ensuring the safety of surgeons and 
improving outcomes for patients. 

“Surgical gloves are one of the key factors that prevent infections in the 
operating room and should not be viewed as a commodity. High quality means 
fewer glove failures, yet we are increasingly seeing healthcare systems around 
the world prioritise price over quality.”

About Mölnlycke
Mölnlycke is a world leading medical solutions company.  Our purpose is to 
advance performance in healthcare across the world. That is why we aspire to 
equip everybody in healthcare with solutions to achieve the best outcomes. We 
develop and bring to market innovative wound care and surgical solutions along 
the entire continuum of care – from prevention to post-acute settings. 



SOURCE: Mölnlycke Health Care