A review of the materials and allergens in protective gloves

Abstract

The ingredients previously reported to cause protective glove allergy are presented and evaluated for strength of evidence. Allergens that have caused both delayed hypersensitivity and contact urticaria are considered for rubber, plastic, leather, and textile gloves. The current guidelines regarding glove manufacture are described. A list of materials confirmed by the industry to be used in glove production is presented together with a suggested series for investigating patients with delayed type hypersensitivity and contact urticaria secondary to glove use.

Tensile Properties and Integrity of Clean Room and Low-Modulus Disposable Nitrile Gloves: A Comparison of Two Dissimilar Glove Types

“…Future research needs to investigate the influence of specific plasticizer/oil content and inorganic filler content on glove integrity. At the same time, caution must be applied regarding the use of known allergens and less wellunderstood phthalates in glove products (Rose et al, 2009) to improve integrity. This information will provide necessary guidance for improved disposable nitrile glove standards and certifications, which would address the observed disparities in performance between glove brands and types.…”

Glove-related hand urticaria: an increasing occupational problem among healthcare workers

“…Therefore, glove‐related hand urticaria can mimic symptoms of contact urticaria to latex, which is more common, affecting approximately 12% of healthcare workers . In addition to latex, contact urticaria can also be caused by corn starch powder, casein, antioxidants and rubber accelerators (Table ) …”

“…8 In addition to latex, contact urticaria can also be caused by corn starch powder, casein, antioxidants and rubber accelerators ( Table 2). 9 It is not unusual for patients with glove-related hand urticaria to react to a variety of glove types such as nitrile, 4 which are increasingly being used in hospitals to replace latex gloves. Nitrile gloves can be more troublesome for dermographic patients as they are usually more rigid and less flexible than latex, so the pressure exerted by the glove is greater.…”

Identification and practical management of latex allergy in occupational settings

“…SPT is an important step in the diagnosis of IgE-mediated occupational allergic diseases and is considered the method of choice to confirm or rule out latex allergy [90], but the outcome of SPT is related to the quality of allergen extracts. Standardized extracts can provide a sensitivity of 93% with a specificity of 100% [91,92] and are considered safe, although isolated cases of anaphylaxis have been reported [93].…”