Contamination of the surgeon's bare and gloved fingertips in cardiac operations

The surgeon's bare fingertips and the external surface of gloved fingertips were examined for contamination by bacteria during the course of 27 cardia c surgical operations. Following the surgical scrub, positive colony counts were obtained in 20 (74%) of bare fingertip impressions (median colony cou nt 4 [inter-quartile range, IQR, 0-9)], while at the conclusion of surgery positive counts were obtained in 15 (55.6%) fingertip impressions (median c ount 1 [IQR 0-6]; range 0-247; paired Wilcoxon test p=NS), Furthermore, pos itive colony counts at the start of the operation were obtained in none of the gloved fingertip impressions and at conclusion of surgery in 17 (62.9%) of the gloved fingertip impressions (median count 2 [IQR 0-6] p=0.0002). T here was no significant relationship between the total colony count on glov ed fingertip impressions and the length of surgery (Pearson's r=0.17, p=NS) . Contrary to expectations there was no significant increase in the colony count on the bare fingertips at the conclusion of surgery. Although there w as an increase in the bacterial count on the surgeon's gloved fingertips, t his increase did not correlate with the length of surgery.