Health effects associated with medical glove use.
Adverse reactions to medical gloves represent an important public health issue. Accordingly, there is increasing interest in understanding the information reported to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) describing health effects associated with the use of medical gloves. This article provides a retrospective analysis and summary of health effects associated with medical glove use reported to the FDA. The FDA's medical device adverse event databases were searched via computer using keywords to identify reports of reactions associated with any type of medical glove. Demographic and clinical information abstracted from these reports was used to perform frequency and trend analyses. The reported medical glove-related events, including the noted trends in reporting, suggest the need for further study and continued monitoring of such reports.
US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Office of Surveillance and Biometrics, Division of Postmarket Surveillance, Rockville, Md., USA.
Sharon F
SF
Dillard
Brockton
B
Hefflin
Ronald G
RG
Kaczmarek
Edward L
EL
Petsonk
Thomas P
TP
Gross
D000328:Adult; D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D019992:Databases as Topic; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005932:Gloves, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000209:etiology; D020315:Latex Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013527:Perioperative Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011358:Product Surveillance, Postmarketing; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012308:Risk Management / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration