About AnsellCares Risk Management Programs Meeting The Challenges Of Today's Healthcare Setting Glove Selection Program Glove Environments The AnsellCares Initiative Glove Management & Utilization Program The Ansell Risk Management System A Guide To Safe Handling Of Chemotherapy Drugs Chemical Resistance Guide Chart An Analysis Of Latex, Polyurethane, Neoprene, Nitrile And Vinyl A Guide To The Barrier Effectiveness Of Synthetic Gloves Embryo Cytotoxicity Report Health & Medical Resources Career Opportunities		NEWS & INFORMATION    Risk Management Programs THE FACT Gloves are the most common barrier used by healthcare professionals, both inside and outside the surgical arena. Healthcare providers demand a two-way protection from gloves to prevent transmission of microorganisms both to and from the patient. THE ISSUES Of major concern are the hepatitis B virus (HBV),hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Tests have shown that intact latex gloves do indeed provide a barrier to these viruses.1,2 However, with the recent rise in awareness of latex allergy hypersensitivity, nonlatex gloving alternatives are being considered for patient care. But, do they offer adequate barrier protection? THE TEST This brochure summarizes independent barrier tests performed on Ansell nonlatex medical gloves. The virus chosen for the test was the ØX174 bacteriophage a surrogate microbe* and one of the smallest known viruses which represents the worse case scenario in barrier testing. *Per ASTM F1671 Section 5.4 METHOD Test gloves were suspended in a 1 L flask containing ØX174 virus challenge in nutrient broth. The gloves were filled with a nutrient broth, secured to the flask and placed on an orbital shaker at 100 RPM in a 37(+/-)2°C incubator. See illustration on below. Samples were removed from inside the glove at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 120, and 180 minutes and assayed for the challenge virus. Positive and negative controls were included in each test run. Three positive and three negative controls were tested for each type of glove. Positive controls consisted of gloves with small holes in the fingers introduced by a 22 or 16 gauge needle. Negative controls consisted of sterile glass test tubes filled with nutrient broth suspended in the virus challenge. THE RESULTS The quantitative test results given in PFU/mL are summarized in the following tables. The detection limit for this assay was 1 PFU/mL. Results listed <1 indicate that no virus was detected in the sample. SOLUTION Based on the test method and results, Ansell's line of synthetic gloves listed below offers an effective mechanical barrier against viral penetration.** Gloves are a critical line of defense against infection and you cannot afford to take unnecessary risks or make unsafe assumptions. Not only do you need the best hand barrier protection products available, you also need the information required to make the best possible choices. At Ansell we have both. S a m p l e s Minutes   0 15 30 45 60 120 180 1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 2 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 3 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 4 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 5 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 6 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 7 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 8 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 9 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 10 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 NC-1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 NC-2 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 NC-3 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 PC-1 8 98 2.1 X102 2.3 X102 6.4 X102 9.5 X102 1.1 X103 PC-2 <1 <1 63 70 1.6 X102 7.7 X102 1.1 X103 PC-3 9 51 2.0 X102 2.0 X102 2.2 X102 1.3 X103 1.8 X103 S a m p l e s Minutes   0 15 30 45 60 120 180 1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 2 <1 <1 <1 <1 1 10 16 3 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 4 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 5 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 6 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 7 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 8 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 9 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 10 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 NC-1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 NC-2 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 NC-3 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 PC-1 <1 77 68 1.4 X102 1.5 X102 2.0 X103 3.3 X103 PC-2 3 11 13 30 32 1.6 X102 2.4 X103 PC-3 3 27 27 33 32 1.0 X102 5.2 X102 S a m p l e s Minutes   0 15 30 45 60 120 180 1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 2 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 3 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 4 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 5 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 6 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 7 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 8 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 9 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 10 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1* <1 NC-1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 NC-2 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 NC-3 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 PC-1 97 45 61 58 69 138 106 PC-2 8 4 15 13 12 43 50 PC-3 167 176 245 255 269 285 335 Glove Assay Procedure Specimen Position Dalgleish AG Malkovsky M. Surgical gloves as a mechanical barrier against human immunodeficiency viruses. Br.J Surg 1998;75(Feb):171-2 Zbitnew A, et al. Vinyl versus latex gloves as barriers to transmission of viruses in the health care setting. J Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 1989;2:201-4. Douglas A, Simon RT Goddard M. Barrier durability of latex on vinyl medical gloves in clinical settings. AIAH J 1997 (Sep);58:672-6. Korniewicz DM Laughton BE, Cyr WH Lytle CD, Larson E. Leakage of virus through used vinyl and latex examination gloves. J Clin Microbiology 1990 (Apr);28(4):787-8. Korniewicz DM, Laughton BE, Butz A, Larson E. Integritv of vinyl and latex procedure gloves. Nursing Research 1989 (May/June);38(3):144-6. Zbitnew A, Greer K, Heise-Qualtiere J, Conly J. Vinyl versus latex gloves as barriers to transmission of viruses in the health care setting. J Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 1989 (Nov);2:201-4. The results are expressed in plaque forming units per milliliter (PFU/ml). NC= Negative Control || PC= Positive Control All counts below 60 are considered approximates because they are outside of the statistically accurate range. * One of the triplicate plates had one plaque, but the average is still <1 PFU. ** Based on static testing as described. Independent research identifies natural rubber latex as a superior barrier to synthetics in clinical or dynamic test environments.3,4,5 Ansell recommends that healthcare workers consider frequent glove inspection, changing gloves regularly, and handwashing as important infection control practice.6 Data on file.
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