title: Surgical glove lubricants: from toxicity to opportunity.
abstract: In most emergency departments, surgical gloves are coated with surface powders that act as lubricants to facilitate donning. Cornstarch powder is an absorbable powder employed as a donning agent on most powdered gloves. Talcum powder, a nonabsorbable powder, is used as a mold release agent in glove manufacture and is still commonly found on the surfaces of modern surgical gloves. These powders are foreign bodies that elicit inflammatory responses, leading to a wide number of symptoms and complications. The best method of preventing clinical complications from glove powder is to use powder-free gloves.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville 22908, USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Woods
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Edlich
mesh_terms: D005932:Gloves, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000266:history; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008153:Lubrication; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D013213:Starch / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D013627:Talc / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D013627:Talc; D013213:Starch