Surgical gloves and raw materials – time for reappraisal?
Different materials, such as natural rubber latex, used in the manufacturing of medical and surgical gloves have had unintended consequences – but should NRL be reconsidered?
Materials like natural rubber latex (NRL) have long been a lightning rod due to their impact on individuals with latex allergies. But given what we now know about NRL, is it time for a reappraisal? What does the future of glove manufacturing look like, and can – and should – NRL make a comeback?
Hands and gloves hold many of the critical keys to infection prevention, operating room (OR) efficiency and surgical best practices. Hear more from your peers about OR practices, gloving and other surgical glove-related topics in the podcast series Hands & gloves.
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In discussion with surgeons and other operating room (OR) staff, such as surgical nurses, safety for their patients and for themselves is a key concern.
Contact dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin resulting from direct contact of a substance with the surface of the skin1.
Using improvement science to drive change in the OR
Swedish OR nurses’ preventive interventions to reduce bacterial growth and SSIs, and to increase comfort in patients undergoing surgery
How do surgical gloves affect sustainability and the global environment?
Challenges and opportunities with chemicals in surgical gloves: meeting customer expectations
How to implement a double gloving protocol in practice
Improving surgical gloving practice
The efficacy of double gloving in reducing the risk of an inner-glove perforation and increasing the detection of perforations when they occur has been evaluated in two different Cochrane systematic reviews1,2.
