34 – MEDICAL DISPOSABLE GLOVES: STRUCTURAL MATERIALS DIFFERENT FROM LATEX
Luca Martinelli Medical disposable gloves: structural materials different from latex Publication nr. 34 – 18th December 2013 1. FOREWORD In the last few years we have observed a sudden rise of irritant allergic and not allergic reactions, due to the use of latex gloves. Those are caused by the proteins that constitute latex and by chemical additives. Generalizing, latex allergies can be listed as follows: contact dermatitis eczema, allergic urticaria, generalized urticaria, angioneurotic edema, edema of the glottis, anaphylactic shock. To latex another cause of allergy is added: the powder used as lubricant. It was in fact demonstrated that the powder added into the gloves to fit them easily, can cause conjunctivitis, rhinitis and bronchial asthma because it work as an aeroallergen: means of transport of causative agent to respiratory tract. Deproteinization, dust delete and all the other solutions adopted have considerably helped to decrease the pe...