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An Analysis of Gloving Materials
A Self-Study Guide
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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
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Informed use of PPE is a critical component of a hospital’s infection control program.
Where there is likelihood of contact with bodily fluids or potentially hazardous
chemicals, appropriate PPE includes gloves, gowns, laboratory coats, face shields,
masks, eye protection, and ventilation devices.
GLOVE MATERIALS
The materials most widely used in today’s medical gloves are latex, nitrile, neoprene,
polyisoprene, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The term “latex-free” can be used to
describe any glove film that does not contain latex. These films include nitrile,
neoprene, polyisoprene, and vinyl. However, read the package carefully or contact
the manufacturer to ensure the glove film is truly a “latex-free” product.
MEDICAL GLOVES
When selecting a medical glove, an important consideration should be the barrier
requirement related to the procedure or task at hand. Be aware of the level of exposure
risk that the patient-care activities will require. Procedures that involve exposure
to hazardous chemicals, blood, bodily fluids, and other potentially infectious material
require a glove material that provides appropriate barrier protection.
LATEX MEDICAL GLOVES
Latex remains the gold standard for hand barrier protection due to its strength,
proven barrier protection, elasticity, fit, feel, comfort, and relatively low cost.
With the availability of low-protein, powder-free gloves, many clinicians are confidently
continuing to wear gloves made of latex. Latex gloves are recommended as the first
choice for barrier protection in the healthcare environment, except for wearers
who are allergic to latex proteins. Latex is available in both surgical and examination
gloves.
LATEX-FREE MEDICAL GLOVES
For healthcare workers allergic to latex, the preferred recommendation as an alternative
for medical examination gloves would be a latex-free material of nitrile or neoprene,
and a latex-free material of neoprene for surgical gloves. In independent testing
for barrier properties, studies showed that nitrile, neoprene, and latex gloves
are comparable in barrier properties during in-use performance testing (Korniewicz
et al., 2002).
Nitrile
Nitrile is a petroleum-based, cross-linked film. It is extremely strong with punctureresistance
superior to all glove films. Nitrile’s elasticity is very good and the gloves tend
to conform to the shape of the wearer’s hands, providing good comfort and fit. There
are no latex proteins in nitrile; therefore, there is no chance of latex allergy
with use. Nitrile exhibits excellent chemical resistance and is recommended where
high strength and/or chemical protection is required. Nitrile is available in examination
gloves.
Neoprene (Polychloroprene)
Neoprene is a petroleum-based crosslinked film that provides a similar fit, feel,
and barrier protection to latex. Neoprene contains no latex proteins, and is available
without chemical accelerators, making it a great choice for those with Type IV chemical
allergy. It is a strong material, with good resistance to many chemicals, and provides
great comfort. Neoprene’s elasticity is close to that of latex with very high memory.
The film is able to retain its original shape and is somewhat puncture-resistant.
The work of some researchers has demonstrated that neoprene is the preferred barrier
when handling the lipophilic form of some hazardous drugs (Wallemacq, et al., 2005).
Neoprene is available in both surgical and examination gloves.
Polyisoprene
Polyisoprene is a petroleum-based, crosslinked film. Polyisoprene provides high
strength, elasticity, and comfort. It contains no latex proteins, but contains some
curing agents that can cause allergic reactions. Polyisoprene is durable and is
somewhat puncture-resistant. Polyisoprene provides good barrier protection but is
more permeable than latex. Polyisoprene provides fair protection against alcohol
and other water-based solutions. Polyisoprene is available in surgical gloves.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Many hospitals provide a latex-free material called polyvinyl chloride (PVC), commonly
referred to as “vinyl,” as a choice for examination gloves. It contains no latex
proteins. Vinyl is a petroleum-based film, but it is not molecularly cross-linked.
Because it lacks cross-linking, the individual molecules of vinyl tend to separate
when the film is stretched or flexed. This causes small holes and breaches to form
during glove donning and normal use. Studies have shown that 63% of vinyl examination
gloves permitted leakage of a test virus after normal use, compared with 7% of latex
examination gloves (Korniewicz et al., 2002).
Vinyl is the weakest of the glove films, with poor elasticity, memory, and fit.
Because of these inadequate physical properties, the use of vinyl gloves is not
recommended where contact with blood and other potentially infectious bodily fluids
is likely to occur. Vinyl gloves should only be used for low-risk applications.
Vinyl is available in examination gloves.
SELECTING A GLOVE THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU
Glove selection is serious business. The two primary considerations should be barrier
protection and allergen content. If a glove does not provide an intact barrier,
it is not doing its job. To maximize barrier effectiveness, you may wish to choose
a glove manufacturer that is reliable and experienced to ensure that your gloves
will be of consistent quality and regularly available. To help you sort out the
pros and cons of different glove materials, the pertinent characteristics of latex,
nitrile, neoprene, polyisoprene, and vinyl gloves are summarized in
Table 1.
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