The History And Evolution Of Medical Grade Latex Gloves

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Article Title:

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The History And Evolution Of Medical Grade Latex Gloves

Article Description:

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We all know what latex gloves are and why they are important,

but many people do not realize how long people have been using

medical gloves and the changes that they have gone through over

the years. Believe it or not, latex gloves have been in use

in the medical community since 1889.

Additional Article Information:

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966 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line

Distribution Date and Time: 2006-06-16 10:24:00

Written By: Davin Abernathy

Copyright: 2006

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

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The History And Evolution Of Medical Grade Latex Gloves

Copyright © 2006 Davin Abernathy

Don The Glove

http://www.dontheglove.com

We all know what latex gloves are and why they are important, but

many people do not realize how long people have been using

medical gloves and the changes that they have gone through over

the years.

The History and Evolution of Latex Disposable Gloves

The earliest notable use of surgical gloves was in 1889. Various

lubricants have been used to help get the gloves on the hand,

since surgical gloves were first introduced into the healthcare

community. These range from various wetting techniques to the use

of dusting powders such as a mixtures of Lycopodium spores and

talc, talcum powder alone, calcium carbonate, and different types

of starch products.

Lycopodium was the first lubricant used and was used for about

forty years until the lubricant was found to be toxic to both

patients being treated and the wearer of the glove. After this

was ruled out as a lubricating option, makers of medical gloves

turned to talcum powder as a non-absorbent lubricant.

In the 1940's talcum powder was also identified as a cause of

post-operative complications such as granuloma and adhesion

formation. In 1947, a modified cornstarch glove powder was

introduced to the medical community as an absorbable and

non-irritating powder. By the early 70's, many surgical glove

manufacturers replaced talc with the modified cornstarch.

All surgical gloves are actually made from natural or synthetic

rubber latex by definition. Although many types of exam gloves

are made from rubber latex, exam gloves are not required to be

made from latex. Exam gloves can be made from a number of

different compounds.

The Advantages of Using Latex Gloves for Exams

Latex disposable gloves have been used for over 100 years as

surgical and examination gloves for a number of reasons. Latex

exam gloves have been the choice of healthcare workers because of

their durability and their flexibility. Latex gloves allow for

ease of movement of the hands and allow the wearer to manipulate

minute objects easily. Latex examination gloves allow the wearer

to feel things easily through them which is critical when

examining a patient or performing surgery.

The Nature of Today's Latex Glove Lubricants

The latex disposable gloves that are made today still use

cornstarch as a method of lubrication. Some companies refer to

the lubricants as a dusting powder, instead of lubricant. The

cornstarch that is used today in latex gloves is made of edible

modified USP cornstarch. This means that it is pharmaceutical

grade and considered absolutely pure. By using this high grade

cornstarch there is very little risk, if any, to the patient

being operated on or examined.

The cornstarch used in making latex gloves is mixed with a very

small amount of magnesium oxide. This is done to prevent the

dusting powder from becoming pasty or caking. Regulations today

require that there be no talc be present on the latex examination

gloves or surgical gloves.

Why Do They Use g Powders On Latex Gloves?

Latex gloves are usually made with a dusting powder included,

because the gloves can stick to the mold when they are made. The

dusting powders aid in removing the glove from the mold ---

helping to prevent any tearing when the latex gloves are removed

from the mold.

The dusting powders also help the wearer can get the glove on and

off more easily. Trying to slide latex onto your skin without

lubrication can be quite a difficult task.

Unfortunately, the dusting powders in association with the

natural rubber latex can cause latex allergies for some people.

Once you remove the dusting powder from the equation, most latex

allergies will disappear. The frequency of rubber latex allergies

is the reason that so many companies are now offering dust-free

latex gloves and the reason why so many customers are demanding

them.

Understanding the Manufacture Process

A chlorination process is used to remove the excess powder and

other impurities that attach to the gloves during the

manufacturing process. The chlorination process also breaks down

the latex protein as well as chemical residue on the latex gloves

exterior. Then, through the numerous washing and leaching

processes, the disposable latex gloves go through, the proteins

and the chemicals are further condensed to fabricate the gloves.

To meet direct health care concerns, water-soluble proteins on

medical devices have to be limited by manufacturers, when such

proteins can be expected to have an adverse effect on patients

and users. The chlorination process helps to accomplish this goal

and create safe latex examination gloves that will not harm the

patient.

The Role of Latex Gloves In Preventing Disease Transmission

Of course, the use of latex disposable gloves exploded in the

early to mid 1980's with the discovery of HIV and AIDS. Latex

examination gloves were proven to be one of the best methods of

preventing transmission of HIV from infected patients to

healthcare workers, or anyone else who came in contact with the

body fluids of an HIV infected person.

Since the discovery of HIV many people, not just healthcare

workers, have relied on disposable latex examination gloves to

protect themselves from HIV and other blood-borne pathogens.

Disposable latex gloves are stronger and thicker than most other

types of gloves available, and this has led to them being the

number one choice among healthcare workers and others.

If any good came out of the discovery of HIV and its path of

transmission, it would be that people became aware of how to

protect themselves against HIV and many other diseases that can

be transmitted via bodily fluids.

The use of latex examination gloves has led to decreased

infections of healthcare workers and a decrease in nosocomial

infections in hospitals. Latex exam gloves have proven to be very

effective and continue to offer the highest level of protection

of any gloves on the market today.

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Davin Abernathy writes about medical equipment and medical

management. DonTheGlove.com is the online division of Handgards

Inc, a 45 year old company specializing in hand protection

products. Davin is a frequent contributor to the website's

resource centers. If you thought this article was helpful, you

may explore additional articles at: http://www.dontheglove.com/ .

For more information about Powdered and Powder-Free Latex Gloves,

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