HygieneNCT00425048
Does Gloved Medical Personnel Scratch Less Often?
An observational study of Hygiene and Equipment Contamination, run by Medical University Innsbruck at 1 site in Austria.
Trial summary
Unconscious touching of a person's own head or neck (for example by scratching) is a frequently observed and completely normal physiological movement pattern in humans, which when done by medical personnel attending a patient poses a high risk of unconscious self-contamination, even of an already disinfected hand, and… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 30 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Hygiene, Equipment Contamination, Health Education
- What is being tested?
- wearing gloves
- Type of treatment
- Surgery or procedure
- How many people
- 40 participants
- Where
- 1 siteAustria
- Study dates
- Jan 2007to Dec 2007
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 30 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Medical students working in a simulated OR environment
Who cannot join
None listed.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Unconscious touching of a person's own head or neck (for example by scratching) is a frequently observed and completely normal physiological movement pattern in humans, which when done by medical personnel attending a patient poses a high risk of unconscious self-contamination, even of an already disinfected hand, and of subsequent contamination of the patient. However, as compared to an ungloved hand, a gloved hand is felt to be "foreign," which could reduce the frequency of self-contact and thus the contamination rate.
Wearing protective gloves is highly recommended in medical practice. The purpose of this study is to explore how wearing, or not wearing, protective gloves affects
- the frequency of unconscious self-contact
- contamination of the gloved/ungloved hand
- Conditions
- Hygiene, Equipment Contamination, Health Education
- Being tested
- wearing gloves
- Medical subject headings
- Health Education
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
wearing glovesProcedure or surgery
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted22 Jan 2007 (estimated)
- Study startJan 2007
- Study completionDec 2007
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for HygieneStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Medical University Innsbruck
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Investigators
- Arnulf Benzer, MD, Principal investigator, MUI Innsbruck
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00425048
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- A_B_19_01_2007
- Status last verified
- Feb 2009
- First submitted
- 19 Jan 2007
- Last updated
- 10 Feb 2009
- Results posted
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 10 Feb 2009. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Does Gloved Medical Personnel Scratch Less Often?
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00425048
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- A_B_19_01_2007
- Conditions
- Hygiene, Equipment Contamination, Health Education
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Medical University InnsbruckUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Jan 2007
- Study completion
- Dec 2007 (actual)
- First posted
- 22 Jan 2007 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Unconscious touching of a person's own head or neck (for example by scratching) is a frequently observed and completely normal physiological movement pattern in humans, which when done by medical personnel attending a patient poses a high risk of unconscious self-contamination, even of an already disinfected hand, and of subsequent contamination of the patient. However, as compared to an ungloved hand, a gloved hand is felt to be "foreign," which could reduce the frequency of self-contact and thus the contamination rate.
Wearing protective gloves is highly recommended in medical practice. The purpose of this study is to explore how wearing, or not wearing, protective gloves affects
- the frequency of unconscious self-contact
- contamination of the gloved/ungloved hand
Study design
- Time perspective
- Prospective
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 30 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Medical students working in a simulated OR environment
Key exclusion criteria (0 listed)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| wearing gloves | Procedure or surgery | – |
Primary outcome
Not reported in the source record.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 10 Feb 2009.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Arnulf Benzer, MD principal investigator
MUI Innsbruck
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Hygiene and Equipment Contamination, run by Medical University Innsbruck at 1 site in Austria.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 0 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 10 Feb 2009. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Austria. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 10 Feb 2009; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 30 Oct 2026.