Medical gloves were originally created by Goodyear Rubber in 1890 at the request of Dr. William Halstead for his OR charge nurse who had severe dermatitis from the disinfectants hospitals used. These first gloves were thick rubber gloves with cuffs that were boiled between uses. Medical gloves now play a key role for infection control and caregiver protection.

Our 2004 Glove Buyer’s Guide is a list of glove manufacturers and the types of gloves they make. The guide is broken up into three categories; surgical gloves, examination gloves, and ambidextrous gloves.

Fitted, sterile gloves with extended cuffs, designed to be worn in surgical conditions or when barrier protection against bloodborne pathogens is essential. Gloves packaged by size as hand-specific pairs.

Usually ambidextrous non-sterile gloves, designed to be worn for general medical use when hand and health protection is needed; if non-sterile, usually packaged by size as singles in boxes of100; sometimes hand-specific or designed with long cuffs for special procedures.

Gloves that are not hand specific. Best suited for general use when there is little to no chance of exposure to bloodborne pathogens and other highly infectious material. Most manufacturers make three to five sizes in these gloves. Tend to be cheaper than fitted or hand-specific gloves.

Gloves come in a variety of materials; most common distinctions are latex verse synthetic, or non-latex.

Natural rubber latex is biodegradable, a renewable resource. Gloves made from latex tend to be less expensive than most alternative materials and are a proven material for barrier protection.

These gloves are the best choice for individuals who are sensitive to natural rubber latex but still need proper barrier protection. They can be made out of Neoprene or nitrile.

Three common reactions can occur related to medical gloves: irritation, a non-allergic reaction, and two allergic reactions: Type I hypersensitivity from the natural rubber latex protein allergens, and Type IV hypersensitivity from chemicals.

Irritation is a non-allergic inflammation of the skin and is the most common of the three types of reactions. Chemicals, powder, and endotoxins can remain on the surface of the glove after it is manufactured. All of these can cause skin irritation. Also, gloves that fit too tightly can cause skin problems and when gloves are worn for extended time periods, lack of air may cause the skin to breakdown.

Type I hypersensitivity also known as Immediate Type Hypersensitivity, is potentially the most severe of the three reactions. It is an IgE antibody mediated allergy to the naturally occurring proteins found in natural rubber latex. Symptoms include inflamed itchy redness occurring within minutes of exposure; watery eyes, runny nose and asthma-like symptoms; more severe reactions may include skin rashes, facial swelling, breathlessness, and, in rare cases, anaphylactic shock.

Type IV Reaction or delayed hypersensitivity is an allergic response to specific chemicals referred to as contact sensitizers. The chemicals added during manufacturing that can be found in both natural rubber latex and synthetic gloves may cause it. Symptoms include skin inflammation, puffiness, redness and itchiness usually occurring several hours after exposure and sometimes persisting for several days.

For more information on hand health visit:

• Centers for Disease Control- hand hygiene guideline http://www.sds.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5116.pdf

• Healthcare infection control practices advisory committee http://www.sds.gov/ncidod/hip/Guide/guide.htm

• Healthcare providers’ educational materials http://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/materials.htm

• Association for Professionals in Infection Control http://www.apic.org/resc/rr5116a1.cfm HPN

The Glove Glossary

Absorbable dusting powder (ADP) A U.S.P. glove donning powder consisting of cornstarch powder mixed with approximately 2 percent magnesium oxide to prevent caking. When applied to the surfaces of medical and surgical gloves, it facilitates donning and prevents glove surfaces from sticking together. ADP may be unintentionally deposited into the body during operations or procedures.

Accelerator: A chemical that is added to natural rubber latex to help accelerate curing. Common accelerators include thiurams, thioureas, mercapto-benzothiazoles and dithiocarbamates.

Adhesion: An inflammatory band that abnormally joins two tissues or organs by a fibrous growth, especially the opposing surfaces of a wound. Over time, adhesions constrict organs and cause tremendous pain and other complications. Adhesions may form as a post-operative complication of cornstarch powder deposited in body cavities and wounds following surgery.

Allergen: A compound causing an allergic response. In natural rubber latex gloves, the allergen may be a latex protein or one of the residual chemicals remaining on a product after manufacturing.

Allergy: Hypersensitivity caused by exposure to a particular antigen (such as a natural rubber latex protein or chemical) resulting in a marked increase in reactivity to that antigen upon repeated exposure.

Antigen: A foreign substance; an allergen once it has been absorbed into the body and identified by the immune system.

Antibodies: Produced by the body’s immunological response to antigens, antibodies are found in the blood.

Anaphylactic shock: Systemic response to an allergen resulting in respiratory difficulties and a sudden drop in blood pressure that may lead to cardiovascular collapse. This type of response may occur in people with Type I latex allergy.

Atopic: Individuals who are predisposed to allergies in general. Atopic individuals are more likely to develop latex protein allergy than nonatopic individuals.

Chlorination: The process of treating natural rubber with chlorine to improve its donning properties. Chlorination is used in lieu of cornstarch powder in many powder-free gloves.

Contact dermatitis: A Type IV allergy or irritant reaction characterized by a red rash. The skin may also develop blisters.

Endotoxins: Poisons (toxins) remaining after bacteria is broken down during the sterilization of gloves by gamma irradiation. Endotoxins on glove surfaces can cause post-operative fever and may lead to skin breakdown and infection, and may cause severe hand dermatitis among healthcare workers.

Granuloma: A nodular inflammatory lesion; usually small or granular, firm, persistent and containing compactly grouped mononuclear blood cells. May be produced by foreign bodies, such as absorbable dusting powder.

Immunoglobulin E (IgE): A type of antibody that releases histamines during an allergic reaction. May be triggered by natural rubber latex proteins or other allergens.

Inflammation: A process that occurs in blood vessels and adjacent tissues in response to an injury or abnormal physical, chemical or biological stimulation. Signs of inflammation include redness, heat, swelling and pain. Inflammation may be caused by latex protein allergy.

Natural rubber latex: Natural substance produced by the Hevea brasiliensis (rubber) tree.

Latex allergy: The body’s allergic reaction to one or more of the proteins or added chemicals found in natural rubber latex.

LEAP assay: Latex ELISA for Antigenic Protein,1 a test to determine the level of natural rubber latex allergens contained in a product sample. This sensitive test measures immunologically reactive protein.

Leaching: Manufacturing process of removing soluble contents of a substance by immersing in water. Some latex proteins and residual chemicals may be removed from latex products during the leaching and rinsing stages of manufacturing.

Lowry assay: A method of testing for the level of total extractable latex protein contained in a product sample.

Pyrogens: Dead bacteria, molds, viruses and yeasts that cause fever. Pyrogens can remain on gloves following sterilization by gamma irradiation.

Universal precautions: Glove guidelines for healthcare workers mandated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1987 to help prevent the transmission of HIV.

RAST inhibition test: Radioallergosorbent laboratory test which indicates the amount of allergens present in a glove extract.

Sensitivity: A term used in assessing the value of a diagnostic test, procedure or clinical observation. It is the proportion of people who truly have a specific disease and are so identified by the test.

Talc: Hydrous magnesium silicate, used as a dusting powder. Abandoned as a substance for donning gloves because it was proven to cause inflammatory responses and other severe medical complications when deposited in the body during surgery.

Vulcanization: The process of treating raw rubber or its compounds by subjecting it to heat in the presence of sulfur to increase its strength and elasticity.

Glossary courtesy of Regent Medical