By Anne Guignon, RDH, MPH, CSP
While it might be hard for some people to imagine, health-care professionals started routinely wearing gloves only in the mid-1980s. The advent of HIV/AIDS during that time changed our work habits forever. It was hard for many health-care professionals to learn how to deliver clinical care with gloves on.
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The early gloves fit poorly. They were either too small or too large. The finger length was often too short or too long. Those with wide hands suffered cramps and soreness. Others ended up with aching fingers and thumbs. The first exam gloves were thick, hot, and interfered with tactile sensitivity. Some clinicians experienced dermatitis issues directly related to the chemicals used in glove processing, and others developed allergic reactions to latex.
Latex was the only material readily available early on. Latex gloves stayed on because of compression, so essentially using a latex glove was like putting your hand in a rubber band. Ambidextrous latex gloves created an additional issue since the thumb was forced into the same geometric plane as the fingers. This increased thumb stress, and then the user had to push against the latex glove to maintain a pinch grip. The result was more work to an already overloaded thumb joint and surrounding muscles and nerves.
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Powdered latex gloves were introduced to absorb excess skin moisture and aid in donning. But powder causes skin dryness and has been implicated in multiple issues in the surgical setting. The FDA is now accepting public comments and will most likely ban powdered gloves before the end of this year.
When it became clear that gloves were going to remain the standard of care, companies began to focus on manufacturing high quality gloves and poured money into research and development. The goal was to create a glove that would satisfy infection-control requirements without sacrificing comfort or leading to dermatitis issues. Many health-care workers wear gloves for only a short period of time, such as the few minutes it takes to draw blood or take a patient’s vital signs. Dental offices are different. We wear gloves for long periods of time, so fit is critical.
We also want low failure rates in our gloves. Tensile strength, elasticity, and pinhole defects contribute to overall glove integrity. While American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) rates are voluntary, they meet the FDA-regulatory guidelines for gloves. Gloves that meet or exceed ASTM standards are manufactured to have a high level of reliability, which leads to fewer torn gloves.
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