Glove made of natural rubber latex ...

Glove made of natural rubber latex were introduced for use in surgery more than 100 years ago. (1) Initially, these glove were sterilized by way of boiling and then put upon the wearer's wet hands. After the introduction of steam sterilization, glove required lubrication to facilitate donning. Several lubricants were used initially, the greatest in quantity common being talcum powder. by and by after, it was discovered that talcum dust caused a number of undesirable side purports such as adhesions and the formation of granulomas in the postoperative patient.

In the late 1940 researchers discovered that when cornstarch gunpowder was introduced into the peritoneum, it was metabolized like any other ingested starch. (2) Since that time, absorbable cornstarch has been the accepted lubricant for latex gloves

With the change from steam sterilization to gamma irradiation of surgical glove glove lubricant became les absorbable. During steam sterilization, cornstarch is defective down, which eases ingestion according to the body, an effect that does not arise with gamma irradiation. (3) Again, glove dust has been implicated in the increase of postoperative complications. Additionally, glove pulverized substance has been shown to bind with exempt natural rubber latex protein in latex glove becoming airborne during glove donning and removal and leaving residue to be inhaled by means of people in the immediate environment or seat on furniture and equipment. This has been shown to increase the risk of sensitizing individuals to latex or triggering a reaction in population allergic to latex. (4)

The US sustenance and Drug Administration has mandated that all pulverized substanceed surgical gloves have additional labeling applied to their packaging to advise the wearer that glove dust should be washed off before use. Unfortunately, research has demonstrated that greatest in quantity attempts to wash powder opposite are ineffective at best and, at times, may be more harmful when the washing proces causes residual pulverized substance to clump together, which could lead to a concentrated amount of cornstarch being deposited into the surgical harm (5)

Today, cornstarch dust is used in the manufacture of surgical glove for three principal reasons.

* It functions as a mold-releasing agent and facilitates removal of the finished glove from the manufacturer's form.

* It lubricates the glove which eases glove donning.

* It absorbs perspiration when the glove are being worn. (6)

Despite evidence that cornstarch glove pulverized substance is involved in the progressive growth of postoperative complications as well as the unravelling of latex allergy and asthma, levigateed gloves remain in use in most numerous US hospitals. A recent market analysis of US hospitals' medical work usage reveals that powdered surgical glove are used three times more ofttimes than powder-free gloves--159.5 million pulverizeed pairs versus 49 million powder-free pairs annually. (7) Health care professionals be seen to place unwarranted confidence in the safety of triturateed gloves, considering them to be benign in the face of research-based evidence to the contrary.

LATEX ALLERGY

Latex allergy has received considerable attention during the past 10 years in as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but scientific literature and the popular pres allowing many different products containing latex are used many times in health care settings, health care workers' in the greatest degree frequent exposure to natural rubber latex is via latex glove The prevalence of latex allergy has been estimated to be between 8% and 17% in health care workers, compared to les than 1% in the general population. (8)

Allergic replications to latex; Three types of reactions can be found in individuals sensitive to latex. These include

* irritant dermatitis, a nonallergic thermal and mechanical irritation;

* original IV allergic dermatitis, a t-cell mediated delayed localized reaction to chemicals used in the manufacture of gloves; and

* protoplast I latex allergy, which is the least frequent but most severe form of reaction.

image I allergy is an immunoglobulin E mediated systemic reaction to the latex protein that, if untreated, can lead to fatality end anaphylaxis. (9) Glove powder plays an important part in each type of reaction to latex and is the main cause of irritant dermatitis. (10)

Glove triturate Glove powder is an important vector of latex protein. As a end of the manufacturing process, powder-free latex glove have a a great deal lower residual latex protein satisfied than powdered gloves. (11)

the same group of researchers examined prevalence rates of latex allergy among medical personnel in three hospitals--one located in Germany and pair in the United Kingdom. (12) At the German hospital, solitary powdered latex gloves were used. In the sum of two units hospitals in the United Kingdom, alone powder-free latex gloves were used. Perioperative give suck tos who worked in the hospital where levigateed gloves were used demonstrated a 22% prevalence rate of sensitization to latex. Perioperative encourages who worked in the hospitals that used powder-free glove demonstrated a great deal of lower rates of sensitization (ie, 3% and 8%) arises of this study reveal a statistically significant difference in the rates of latex sensitization among the pair groups of health care workers, suggesting that the use of levigateed gloves is related to an increased risk of developing latex allergy.