A laboratory-based study to assess the performance of surgical gloves

AORN Journal,  April, 2003  by Denis M. Korniewicz,  Maher M. El-Masri,  John M. Broyles,  Christopher D. Martin,  Kevin P. O'Connell

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There has been documentation concerning complications from the use of powdered gloves; (20) therefore, the researchers examined the effect of glove powder on barrier quality. When glove material, stress, and manufacturer were accounted for by multivariate analysis, powder was found not to affect the durability of the glove or its barrier properties. Use of powder primarily is intended to facilitate glove donning. (21) Several studies have suggested, however, that powder is a predisposing factor for latex sensitivity (22) and surgical complications; (23) thus, if the choice to use powder is based on the assumption that powder will enhance glove donning and, therefore, contribute to glove performance, that assumption is not supported by the results of this study.

CONCLUSION

This study was a laboratory simulation; therefore, it was limited by the number of gloves tested and the 30-minute stress protocol. The average time for surgical glove use ranges from 20 minutes to 30 minutes not including preparation time or the use of gloves before surgery. (24) It is evident, however, that gaining a clearer picture of the effectiveness of glove barrier quality requires consideration of glove material, manufacturer, and the use of a stress protocol or actual use in surgery. Although the researchers compared glove defects between latex and nonlatex gloves by manufacturer, it should be mentioned that the study did not include gloves from all available manufacturers. This study was limited to gloves from six manufacturers that were available at the institution in which the study was performed. Researchers found that nitrile and neoprene surgical gloves were comparable to latex gloves in a simulated surgical stress protocol. They recommend that specific standards for testing the barrier effectiveness of surgical gloves include a stress protocol consistent with the type of material used.