Health Issues Connected to The Use Of Powdered Latex Gloves

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Article Title:

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Health Issues Connected to The Use Of " Powdered Latex " Gloves

Article Description:

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Latex gloves have long been a standard in the medical field to

protect healthcare workers and patients from infections and

disease transmission. Yet, some people have noticed having

allergic reactions after using " powdered latex " gloves.

Additional Article Information:

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740 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line

Distribution Date and Time: 2006-07-26 10:00:00

Written By: Davin Abernathy

Copyright: 2006

Contact Email: mailto:davin.abernathy@...

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Health Issues Connected to The Use Of " Powdered Latex " Gloves

Copyright © 2006 Davin Abernathy

Don The Glove

http://www.dontheglove.com

Latex gloves have long been a standard in the medical field to

protect healthcare workers and patients from infections and

disease transmission.

Yet, some people have noticed having allergic reactions after

using " powdered latex " gloves.

There have been a number of studies completed to determine the

adverse effects of powders that are used in making the medical

gloves. These studies reflect that some powders can cause

infections or adverse reactions in the patients being treated,

and in the healthcare worker who is wearing the powdered latex

gloves.

Science lives on the concept of " empirical " proof. " Empirical

proof " means that something is " verifiable or provable by means

of observation or experiment. " An extended definition of

" empirical " is: " of or being a philosophy of medicine

emphasizing practical experience and observation over scientific

theory. "

There has been shown empirical proof that the powder used in

latex gloves does contaminate wounds being treated, and that even

washing the powdered latex gloves is ineffective in preventing

this contamination. Peritoneal adhesions were also cited as

adverse effects of glove powder when treating patients. The

primary recommendation is to keep foreign bodies out of the

operative area, including glove powder. As a result, powder-free

gloves are recommended for open-wound treatments and surgeries.

Studies have also uncovered evidence of powder being left behind

on surgical instruments, after a person wearing the gloves

handled the instruments. Since it is suggested that the operative

area remain free of foreign particles, powder-free gloves are the

best kind to use.

Further studies have shown that gloves that use cornstarch as a

powder provide the least danger to a patient in regards to

causing an infection. In the past, talc has been widely, but

cornstarch has been proven to be much safer. The safest gloves,

however, are completely powder-free gloves.

Studies have also been completed on the risks of healthcare

workers inhaling the glove powder when performing examinations or

surgeries on patients. Since the early 1980's, there have been a

number of studies showing that glove powder, on latex gloves, can

cause respiratory complications and asthma-like attacks for the

healthcare workers.

It was believed that healthcare workers, who were exposed to

powdered-latex gloves on a regular basis and in large

concentrations, such as in an operating room, were more likely to

suffer from these respiratory complications. These studies were

quite thorough and even demonstrated that in one hospital where

all latex gloves were powder-free, there was a low prevalence of

respiratory complications for the healthcare providers.

Research also indicated that it was also possible for those not

wearing latex gloves to suffer from the respiratory

complications. Simply being in a room or confined area where

people are wearing the powdered latex gloves can result in

respiratory problems. Generally, those who experienced an

allergic reaction to latex were also more likely to also suffer

from the respiratory problems caused by the latex glove powder.

Another study showed that cornstarch powder on latex gloves could

negatively affect the skin of the wearer. This is because

cornstarch naturally absorbs moisture, including the moisture

from the wearer's skin. The resulting tendency is to have dry

and cracked skin, which can lead to a higher likelihood of

infections, because the natural barrier of the skin has been

broken down.

As you can see, there are many reasons that some healthcare

workers are turning to powder-free latex gloves. It is probably

most important to use powder-free gloves during surgeries and

when working with open wounds, so that the powder does not cause

an infection or complication for the patient.

If you are a healthcare provider or other type of worker, who

wears gloves on a daily basis, it may be a good idea to use

powder-free latex gloves as often as possible. This will decrease

the chances of suffering from respiratory complications and

irritated skin that becomes dry and cracked as a result of

wearing powdered gloves on a regular basis.

There are many powder-free gloves available on the market that

has been shown to be just as effective against preventing the

transmission of diseases and infections as their powdered

counterparts. Powder-free exam gloves may be slightly more

expensive though, since removing the powder from the gloves adds

another step to the production process.

The slight added cost is thought to be well worth it, because of

the benefits that are offered to the patients and to the

healthcare providers who wear the powder-free gloves on a daily

basis.

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Davin Abernathy writes about medical equipment and medical

products. http://www.DonTheGlove.com is the online division of

Handgards Inc, a 45 year old company specializing in disposable

medical gloves, including powder-free and powdered latex gloves

(http://www.dontheglove.com/latexgloves/). If you thought this

article was helpful, you may explore additional articles about

latex gloves in the resource center at:

http://www.dontheglove.com/latexgloves/