Glove Selection for Digital Rectal Examination

Rationale for Non-Sterile Gloves

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing medical examination gloves whenever there is potential contact with mucous membranes, which includes rectal examination 1, 2, 3
Standard medical examination gloves provide adequate barrier protection for diagnostic procedures involving mucous membrane contact without tissue penetration 1, 2
Sterile surgeon's gloves are specifically indicated only for surgical procedures that involve tissue invasion or entry into normally sterile body spaces 1, 2, 3

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends performing hand hygiene immediately before donning gloves for any patient contact 2
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends washing hands immediately after removing gloves to prevent transfer of microorganisms to other patients or environments 1, 2, 3

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends using a new pair of medical gloves for each patient and removing them promptly after the examination 1, 2, 3
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends never reusing, washing, disinfecting, or attempting to sterilize examination gloves 1, 2, 3
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends removing and replacing gloves immediately if they become torn, cut, or punctured during the examination 1, 2, 3

The American Urological Association recommends using sterile gloves for transrectal surgical procedures, such as transrectal prostate biopsy 4, 5

For a standard office-based or bedside digital rectal examination, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends performing hand hygiene before donning gloves 2
For a standard office-based or bedside digital rectal examination, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends donning clean, non-sterile examination gloves 1, 2
For a standard office-based or bedside digital rectal examination, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends removing gloves promptly after the examination and performing hand hygiene immediately 1, 2