After over 100 years of natural rubber latex glove use in medical and industrial
environments, why only now since the early 1990's has this issue of NRL protein allergy come to the attention of the medical and scientific community in such dramatic fashion?
In offering possible answers to the question: Why Now? one significant factor may be the startling increase in the number of companies that entered the latex glove manufacturing business in response to the increased demand for latex gloves in the late
1980's and early 1990's. Due to the implementation of OSHA's regulations commonly referred to as "Universal Precautions" medical glove usage increased greatly (est. 1.4billion gloves in 1988 - 8.3 billion gloves in 1993). Over 400 new licenses were issued
between 1985 and 1990 by the Malaysian Industrial Development Association
(MIDA)1. Many of the companies receiving
these licenses had neither the resources nor knowledge of proper latex processing as
possessed by the major manufacturers and they offered potentially inferior products into a demand driven market. By 1995 MIDA reported that the total number of glove manufacturers in Malaysia had fallen to 108, with further reductions by 1997.
The legacy of the 300 plus companies who went out of business may well be a trail of latex sensitized individuals.
Today while many manufacturers are seeking alternative materials to natural rubber latex to resolve allergy issues, it is important not to lose sight of the fact that, to date, no material has demonstrated the superior barrier properties of NRL which provides the required barrier protection for millions of patients and healthcare workers.
REFERENCES
- Malaysian Industrial Development Association, "Glove Manufacture in Malaysia", 1995
