1 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8
A
s awareness of latex
allergies has grown
over the years, so,
too, has the demand for non-
latex gloves. Quality has
caught up, too, so much so
that it's hard to tell a non-latex
glove from a latex glove in
terms of comfort, tactile quali-
ty and elasticity.
"The gloves seem to feel
exactly the same when you're
wearing them," says hand sur-
geon Julie Woodside, MD, of
OrthoCarolina in Charlotte,
N.C. "You'd probably never
notice if it was latex or non-
latex."
If you're shopping for non-
latex gloves, here are some things to keep in mind:
• The basic material. Nitrile, a synthetic rubber, is the predominant
material for non-latex gloves. Nitrile resists punctures, is good for
wearing during lengthier cases and has a long shelf life. Nitrile gloves
are pretty close to natural rubber latex gloves in terms of flexibility,
sensitivity, thinness, feel and ease of donning, says Robert Brown,
MD, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in
Baltimore, Md.
Non-Latex Surgical Gloves
Safety for your OR team and patients without sacrificing comfort, fit or feel.
Thinking of Buying …
Mike Morsch | Associate Editor
• THE RIGHT FEEL Hand surgeon Julie Woodside, MD, of
OrthoCarolina in Charlotte, N.C., prefers a very thin non-latex glove
because it lets her better feel her instruments.
OrthoCarolina