title: Latex-free gloves: safer for whom?
abstract: Increasing latex hypersensitivity among patients and health care workers has prompted the development of latex-free surgical gloves. Latex-free gloves must perform equally as the existing latex standard. We analyzed perforation rates in a clinical trial comparing latex and a latex-free alternative during primary hip and knee arthroplasty. The overall latex glove perforation rate was 8.4% compared with 21.6% for the latex-free alternative (chi(2) P < .001). The operation perforation rate for latex gloves was 34.4% compared with 80% for latex-free gloves (chi(2) P < .001). We suggest that the latex-free glove tested cannot provide a reliable barrier between the surgeon and the patient. As such, we question the safety of these gloves and the standards sets by the regulators.
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma and Orthopaedic, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, England.
authors.forename: Ehab
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aldlyami
authors.forename: Ashwin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kulkarni
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: Scott D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.forename: Paul F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Partington
mesh_terms: D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005932:Gloves, Surgical; D006801:Humans; D007840:Latex; D020315:Latex Hypersensitivity / Q000517:prevention & control; D012449:Safety
chemical_list: D007840:Latex