Related Experiment Videos
Virus penetration of examination gloves
R C Klein1, E Party, E L Gershey
1Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021-6399.
Biotechniques
|August 1, 1990
Summary
Thin polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride examination gloves offer poor protection against viruses. Latex gloves provide superior, though not complete, virus barrier protection, even after disinfectant exposure.
Area of Science:
- Infectious disease transmission
- Biomaterials science
- Occupational safety
Background:
- Examination gloves are crucial personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers.
- Effective barrier properties are essential to prevent pathogen transmission.
- Current glove standards may not adequately address virus particle exclusion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the virus particle exclusion efficacy of common examination glove materials.
- To assess the impact of a common disinfectant (70% ethanol) on glove barrier integrity.
- To inform the development of improved glove manufacturing standards and testing protocols.
Main Methods:
- Virus particle exclusion testing was performed on polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and latex examination gloves.
- Gloves were tested before and after exposure to 70% ethanol.
- Failure rates were quantified based on virus particle penetration.
Main Results:
- Polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride gloves demonstrated high failure rates (40% and 22%) in excluding virus particles.
- Disinfectant exposure significantly increased failure rates for polyethylene (94%) and polyvinyl chloride (56%) gloves.
- Latex gloves showed high efficacy, with less than 1% virus penetration, irrespective of prior ethanol exposure.
Conclusions:
- Thin polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride gloves are inadequate barriers against virus particles.
- Latex gloves offer a superior barrier, though not absolute, against viral contamination.
- There is a critical need for enhanced standards and testing procedures for examination gloves to ensure reliable protection against biohazards.