Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
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Non-latex alternatives Non-latex gloves are not all the same; they vary in their barrier proper- ties and the degree of protection they offer against exposure to infec- tious agents. The alternative glove materials to natural rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) latex are vinyl (polyvinyl chloride), nitrile rubber, neo- prene and artificial polysioprene from oil (not the rubber tree). Their names define their material compositions. Review independent stud- ies of their barrier properties against viral transfer, and the content of chemical residue in the gloves that can cause delayed-type hypersen- sitivity (more on that later). We've used each type of non-latex glove here at Hopkins. Some of the gloves will age and rip more easily. The chlorination process used to sterilize the gloves can diminish a glove's lifespan. Surgical gloves have the most rigorous manufacturing requirements because surgeons are extremely demanding when it comes to the feel and performance of the gloves they use. As we discovered at Johns Hopkins, some sur- geons don't want to give up their natural rubber latex gloves, because of the tactile feel (see "Why Latex-Safe Matters"). We solved the issue, but it's best to avoid the situation. Powder-free latex gloves generally have reduced levels of latex aller- gen, when compared with powdered latex gloves. A non-powdered glove still might contain very low levels of latex particulate, however. When latex gloves are manufactured, they're placed on a ceramic or glass mold of a size 7 right hand, which gets dipped into a vat of latex and passes through a dryer. The surface of the mold typically contains calcium carbonate or a similar material that serves as a donning lubri- cant and lets the gloves be stripped off the form for packaging. Powered latex gloves were historically dipped into a vat of cornstarch, which served as the donning lubricant. That process has been replaced by a chemical treatment that makes 1 3 1 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 | O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y . N E T