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Latex-free surgical gloves may be more likely to perforate vs. those containing latex
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Latex-free gloves display inferior clinical performance when compared to latex gloves, according to a study performed by investigators from the United Kingdom.
Suresh Thomas, MRCS, reported his team’s findings at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in New Orleans.
The results demonstrate that currently available latex-free gloves cannot be recommended for use in orthopedic surgery, Thomas noted.
“Any compromise to the surgeon/patient barrier can lead to potential consequences, especially in arthroplasty,” he said during his presentation. “The aim of our study was to assess the clinical performance of latex-free gloves in arthroplasty, as well as the rate of preforation and their usability.”
Five brands of gloves
Thomas’s team investigated five different brands of gloves approved for use in the United Kingdom: Biogel (latex), Synthesis Polyco (latex-free), Cardinal Esteem (latex-free), Cardinal Esteem SMT (latex-free) and Biogel Skinsense (latex-free).
The gloves, used for primary knee and hip replacements, were collected and labeled for testing. Blunt needles and puncture indicator gloves were used, and all gloves were tested using a validated water distension test.
“Any perforation within an operation was taken as an endpoint, as the surgeon/patient barrier has been breached,” Thomas said.
Latex proves best
Two of the latex-free gloves were rejected for suboptimal clinical usability. Cardinal Esteem gloves proved too slippery and Biogel Skinsense were shown to be uncomfortable, Thomas said.
The investigators collected gloves from 241 hip and knee arthroplasties. Seventy arthroplasties were performed using Biogel, 70 with Synthesis and 101 with Cardinal Esteem SMT.
“The latex glove was the only glove in the system wherein there was no bridge of the surgeon/patient barrier, whereas there were breaches in both the latex-free options,” Thomas said.
Perforation rates for the Biogel latex gloves were measured at 34%, with Synthesis Polyco gloves measuring at 80% and Cardinal Esteem SMT gloves measuring at 54%.
The ideal glove challenge
“Our search for an ideal latex-free glove in arthroplasty has been challenging,” Thomas said. “We found significantly higher perforation in the latex-free gloves compared latex in arthroplasty and, following this study, our institution routinely use latex gloves in arthroplasty.”
Thomas went on to note that clinical performance should be a priority when selecting gloves for surgery and positively selecting inferior gloves is a breach of core surgical principles.
- Reference:
Thomas S, Aldlyami E, Gupta S, et al. Clinical performance of latex-free gloves: Is it safe for arthroplasty surgery? Paper #290. Presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. March 9-13, 2010. New Orleans.
