Progress on Antimicrobial Surgical Gloves: A Review

Abstract

Surgical gloves provide a protective blockade for patients and members of the surgical team. Glove integrity is critical in an era of blood-borne pathogens. Therefore, the need for improved means for prevention and also gloving and appropriate hand hygiene in a hospital setting is ostensible. This perspective highlights the progress on antimicrobial surgical gloves in deducting the microbial passage after a glove puncture in a model of wound contamination. Moreover, traditional methods to avoid microbes in the hospital and various antimicrobial agents, such as metal ions and antiseptic dyes, are reviewed.

Performance-Enhancing Materials in Medical Gloves

“…The increasing number of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms has led to the search for new agents that can prevent the spread of pathogenic microorganisms. Antibacterial agents with the potential to be incorporated into natural or synthetic rubber gloves include biguanides such as chlorhexidine salts and poly(hexamethyl biguanide) (PHMB), quaternary ammonium salts such as benzalkonium chloride and benzethonium chloride, chlorinated phenols such as triclosan, essential oils such as farnesol, phenoxyethanol, octoxyglycerin, antifungal agents, iodine compounds, silver salts, some vegetable oil extracts, such as gentian violet, brilliant green, chitosan-based compounds, turmeric, and similar substances [4]. By covalently bonding the antibacterial agent to polymer surfaces, it is feasible to achieve an enduring effect, which leads to self-sterilized materials that may protect themselves from pathogens and contribute to the eradication of harmful microbes [75].…”

“…Brilliant green and chlorhexidine, when used independently, have been shown to have low antimicrobial efficacy, but when combined, they have a synergistic effect with significantly improved efficacy. Chlorhexidine is a non-toxic chemical widely used in low concentrations in mouthwash solutions along with other antiseptics [4]. Historically, brilliant green has been used as a topical anti-infective for skin lesions and is currently used in combination with gentian violet and proflavine hemisulfate in neonatal nurseries as a broad-spectrum antiseptic solution [101].…”

“…4.9. Antibacterial NR Films with Surface-Anchored QP4-VP for Application in Medical Gloves Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are cationic active biocides, which, in addition to their antibacterial action, are ideal for cleaning and deodorizing [4]. The mechanism of action of QACs against bacterial and viral phospholipid membranes is depicted in Figure 16a, where the red spheres represent positively charged nitrogen atoms.…”

“…The purpose is to compare the natural and synthetic rubbers used in their manufacture as well as identify performance-enhancing materials that can be added to medical glove formulations to improve their properties. These materials include biopolymers, eco-friendly additives, bio-based fillers, and antimicrobial agents [4]. Similarly, we intend to address several prototypes of medical gloves, blends, composites, and coatings made from these new materials.…”

Physicochemical and antimicrobial properties of natural rubber latex films in the presence of vegetable oil microemulsions

“…Over the past few decades, it is essentially to note that the major source for transmission of pathogenic microbes in food industry and both the hospital and community settings is the contaminated gloves . The possibility of cross‐contamination and transmission increased drastically with prolonged glove usage coupled with inadequate hand hygiene . Eventually, the high viable adherent bacterial population on the contaminated glove surface could potentially increase the risks of cross‐transmission of antibiotic resistant strains of pathogens.…”