• E-mail
• Print
• RSS

FDA proposes ban on most powdered surgical gloves

Hospital Safety Insider, March 24, 2016

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Hospital Safety Insider!

On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed banning most powdered gloves in the U.S. While the use of these gloves is on the decline, the risks associated with them for both healthcare workers and patients cannot be corrected through new or updated labeling, says the FDA.

The powder that is sometimes added to natural rubber latex gloves to aid in putting them on or taking them off can carry proteins that might cause respiratory allergic reactions. Also, although powdered synthetic gloves don't typically cause allergic reactions, they have been linked to potentially serious side effects such as severe airway inflammation, wound inflammation, and post-surgical adhesions. It's important to note that these side effects have been associated with powder used in gloves, regardless of the type of the glove used.

Read more here.

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Hospital Safety Insider!

• E-mail to a Colleague
• Print
• RSS
• Archive