Update on medical and surgical gloves

Area of Science:

• Occupational dermatology
• Healthcare worker safety
• Materials science in medicine

Background:

• Occupational dermatitis, including irritant and allergic contact dermatitis (eczema and contact urticaria), is common in healthcare workers due to prolonged glove use.
• Hand and wrist skin irritation is a significant concern linked to the extended wear of personal protective equipment (PPE), particularly gloves.
• Rubber additives are identified as primary allergens in gloves, with natural rubber latex being a frequent cause of occupational contact urticaria.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the prevalence and causes of occupational dermatitis among healthcare workers related to glove use.
• To discuss the importance of selecting appropriate medical and surgical gloves considering their materials and characteristics.
• To emphasize strategies for preventing infection risks while managing glove-related skin reactions.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on occupational dermatitis and glove materials in healthcare settings.
• Analysis of the causes of contact dermatitis and contact urticaria associated with PPE.
• Discussion of infection prevention protocols and glove selection criteria in surgical environments.

Main Results:

• Latex and rubber additives are the most common allergens causing occupational contact urticaria from gloves.
• Prolonged glove use exacerbates skin irritation on the hands and wrists of healthcare professionals.
• Double gloving in surgical settings (operating rooms) is recommended as the optimal protective measure, though not universally implemented.

Conclusions:

• Selecting appropriate medical or surgical gloves requires thorough knowledge of their properties, benefits, and limitations.
• Consultation with dermatologists or allergologists is essential for patients with known contact allergic dermatitis to identify suitable substitution gloves.
• Balancing infection prevention with the prevention of occupational skin diseases is critical in healthcare environments.