AnsellCares Research forum

Exposure to powder from both surgical and examination gloves can cause a number of undesirable reactions that are today well documented. Download poster (pdf)

Medical gloves are worn by the healthcare community in order to provide a barrier to prevent transmission of microorganism to and from patients. Natural rubber latex (NRL) has been used as the material for gloves for many years. Download full document (pdf)

Gloves containing natural rubber latex (NRL) provide excellent protection against the transmission of infectious agents and are an integral part of healthcare practice. However, NRL gloves have been associated with skin irritation in some users. Adverse skin reactions to NRL gloves include delayed contact dermatitis (type IV reaction), latex allergy (type I reaction) and general skin irritations. Download full document (pdf)

The introduction of universal glove precautions (‘standard precautions’) has increased the exposure of healthcare workers and patients to NRL gloves, leading to an apparent rise in the number of people experiencing adverse reactions. However, the advent of improved technologies, powder-free gloves and superior modern manufacturing processes has since reduced the incidence of latex reaction. Download full document (pdf)

The natural rubber latex (NRL) allergy issue caused the greatest revolution in the history of surgical and examination glove manufacturing. From the time that the FDA issued its NRL allergy Medical Alert in 1991, manufacturers of NRL medical gloves have investigated and implemented manufacturing processes to reduce the NRL protein allergen content of their products. Download full document (pdf)

To date, 13 allergenic proteins have been identified by the scientific world. The allergens showing the highest “potential” (type I allergies) are the following: Hev b1, Hev b3, Hev b5 and Hev b6.02 Producing low allergen gloves has always been at one of Ansell’s top priorities and thanks to the company’s unique manufacturing process, this goal has been achieved over the past years, helping Ansell to produce top quality low proteins state-of-the-art surgical gloves. In order to identify the allergens mentioned above within “common production”, a specific latex allergens precise detection / quantification method was necessary.

The National Agency for Medicines has conducted follow-up studies on the allergen contents of surgical and examination gloves made of latex for nearly ten years. The results of these market surveillance studies have been published in the TLT infos of the National Agency for Medicines. This study presents the allergen contents of latex gloves intended for medical use that were on the Finnish market in 2003. Download full document (pdf)

FIT Biotech has developed FITkit™, a sensitive and accurate immunological test for determination of latex allergens in natural rubber latex (NRL) products. This novel method is the first ever test for the measurement of clinically relevant NRL allergens, and enables standardization and quantification of individual allergens. Download full document (pdf)

Historically, powder has been used as a lubricant in the manufacture of medical gloves in order to facilitate donning and to avoid sticking of the glove together. At present, the more widely used dusting powders are cornstarch, and calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Download full document (pdf)

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