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

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

Table 1
GLOVE FAILURE RATES ANALYZED BY MATERIAL, BRAND, POWDER,
MANUFACTURER, AND STRESS

          Brand          Manufacturer   Stressed   Unstressed
Material  code   Powder      code      Pass  Fall  Pass  Fail

Latex       A      No         M1        208    12   247     3
            B     Yes         M6        299    11   180     2
Neoprene    C     Yes         M2        270     8   250     0
            D      No         M3        211    35   246     2
            E      No         M6        263    11   242     6
            F      No         M5        250     2   250     0
Nitrile     G      No         M4        245     5   250     0
Isoprene    H     Yes         M1        189    57   228    24

          Brand failure  Material failure
Material   Rate    %      Rate     %

Latex     15/470   3.2   28/962    2.9
          13/492   2.6
Neoprene   8/528   1.5   64/2046   3.1
          37/494   7.5
          17/522   3.3
           2/502   0.4
Nitrile    5/500   1.0   5/500     1.0
Isoprene  81/498  16.3   81/498   16.3

Table 2
FAILURE RATES OF GLOVES: STRESSED
UNSTRESSED, POWDER, MATERIAL, AND MANUFACTURER

                 Failure rote
Variable          Yes    No     %   Fishers [chi square]  P value

Stress                                      59.942        < .001
    Stressed      141  1,935   6.8
    Unstressed     37  1,893   1.9

Powder                                      28.741        < .001
    Powdered      102  1,416   6.7
    Powder free    76  2,412   3.1

Material                                   191.153        < .001
    Latex          28    934   2.9
    Neoprene       64  1,982   3.1
    Nitrile         5    495   1.0
    Isoprene       81    417  16.3

Manufacturer                               128.348        < .001
    M1             96    872   9.9
    M2              8    520   1.5
    M3             37    457   7.5
    M4              5    495   1.0
    M5              2    500   0.4
    M6             30    984   3.0

Table 3
CRUDE VERSUS ADJUSTED ODDS RATIO (OR) OF
GLOVE FAILURE RATES, 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL (C[I.sup.95])

Variable         Crude OR (C[I.sup.95])  Adjusted OR (C[I.sup.95])

Powder
    Powdered      0.437 (0.32-0.59) *     1.48 (0.69-3.16)
    Powder free   1.0 (Reference)         1.0 (Reference)
Stress
    Stressed      3.722 (2.58-5.37) *     4.26 (2.92-6.21) *
    Unstressed    1.0 (Reference)         1.0 (Reference)
Material
    Nitrile       0.34 (0.13-0.88) *      2.36 (0.40-14.00)
    Isoprene      6.48 (4.15-10.11) *     8.91 (4.85-16.35) *
    Neoprene      1.08 (0.67-1.70)        0.95 (0.47-1.93)
    Latex         1.0 (Reference)         1.0 (Reference)
Manufacturer
    M1/M6         9.63 (4.49-20.69) *     8.09 (1.88-34.77) *
    M2            2.18 (0.79-6.05)        5.42 (0.97-30.23)
    M3           11.49 (5.09-25.95) *    20.48 (4.97-84.40) *
    M4/M5         1.0 (Reference)         1.0 (Reference)

* Indicates P value < 0.05

Editor's Note: This study was funded in port by a grant from Safeskin Corp, a subsidiary of Kimberly-Clark Corp, Roswell, Ga.