Latex Gloves Research Articles

Experiences of stigma and discrimination of women living with HIV/AIDS in health-care settings of Kashmir.

Stigma and discrimination create barriers for women living with HIV/AIDS (WLHA) in accessing quality health-care services, affecting their well-being and also increasing the number of cases. The current article studies issues of stigma and discrimination that WLHA experience in health-care settings and highlights the importance of building awareness and sensitivity regarding HIV among all health-care workers. This hospital-based study was conducted in an anti-retroviral therapy center in Kashmir. Twenty-one WLHA participated in the study. The WLHA internalizes stigma and experiences shock, guilt, anger, and numbness while receiving a diagnosis. The stigma is socially constructed, having very little medical or logical basis. Verbal abuse, gossiping, expression of shock and disbelief of health-care workers, discriminatory attitudes such as wearing multiple surgical gloves, denial of care and treatment, and disclosing their HIV-positive status without their consent to their families and others have been learned. These experiences in health-care institutions are disempowering for WLHA. Gender stereotyping and inequalities within health-care settings and the discriminatory approach of some health practitioners toward women is the main barrier to accessing the services for HIV prevention, treatment and support services.

The Efficacy of Using a Sterile Glove Technique for Retrieval of the Gall Bladder Through the Epigastric Port in Preventing Post-Operative Infections During Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Objectives: To compare the efficacy of using sterile surgical gloves to retrieve the gall bladder through the epigastric port in laparoscopic cholecystectomy as compared to the direct retrieval technique in terms of surgical port site infections. Study Design: Randomized Controlled Trial Setting: Department of Surgery, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar. Duration: From 1st August, 2022, to 31st January, 2023. Methodology: After attaining approval from the Hospital ethical committee all patients meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the study. The patients were allocated in two groups through blocked randomization: Group A (use of sterile glove for extraction) and Group B (direct removal of gall bladder). Results were analyzed on Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 23 and depicted in the form of description and statistical tables. Results: The mean age was 39.64 years ± 3.22 in group A and 38.25 years ±13.3 in group B and most patients were females in both groups, group A (n=40, 80%) and group B (n= 69, 86.3%).In group, A ,11 patients were diabetic (22%) and 5(10%) of the patients developedPSI at the epigastric port, 3(27.3%) in diabetics and 2(5.1%) in non-diabetics, p-value 0.031. In group B, 19 patients were diabetic (23.8%) and10 (12.5%) patients developed PSI, seen on 7th day follow up, 8 in diabetics (80%) and 2 non-diabetics(20%), p-value <0.01. The correlation between diabetes mellites and PSIs showed significant correlation p-value <0. 001.However,no significant correlation was seen between both groups in terms of PSIs, p-value 0.530. Conclusion: Even though it was observed that using retrieval bags relatively decreases the incidence of port site infections in laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the percentage is not notable enough to justify for its impact on operative time. Keywords: Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy, Epigastric Port,Glove Technique, Direct Removal, Port Site Infections.

Preventing stillbirth from obstructed labor: A sensorized, low-cost device to train in safer operative birth.

98% of stillbirths occur in low- and middle- income countries. Obstructed labor is a common cause for both neonatal and maternal mortality, with a lack of skilled birth attendants one of the main reasons for the reduction in operative vaginal birth, especially in low- and middle- income countries. We introduce a low cost, sensorized, wearable device for digital vaginal examination to facilitate accurate assessment of fetal position and force applied to the fetal head, to aid training in safe operative vaginal birth. The device consists of flexible pressure/force sensors mounted onto the fingertips of a surgical glove. Phantoms of the neonatal head were developed to replicate sutures. An Obstetrician tested the device on the phantoms by performing a mock vaginal examination at full dilatation. Data was recorded and signals interpreted. Software was developed so that the glove can be used with a simple smartphone app. A patient and public involvement panel was consulted on the glove design and functionality. The sensors achieved a 20 Newton force range and a 0.1 Newton sensitivity, leading to 100% accuracy in detecting fetal sutures, including when different degrees of molding or caput were present. They also detected sutures and force applied with a second sterile surgical glove on top. The software developed allowed a force threshold to be set, alerting the clinician when excessive force is applied. Patient and public involvement panels welcomed the device with great enthusiasm. Feedback indicated that women would accept, and prefer, clinicians to use the device if it could improve safety and reduce the number of vaginal examinations required. Under phantom conditions to simulate the fetal head in labor, the novel sensorized glove can accurately determine fetal sutures and provide real-time force readings, to support safer clinical training and practice in operative birth. The glove is low cost (approximately 1 USD). Software is being developed so fetal position and force readings can be displayed on a mobile phone. Although substantial steps in clinical translation are required, the glove has the potential to support efforts to reduce the number of stillbirths and maternal deaths secondary to obstructed labor in low- and -middle income countries.

AIUM Official Statement: Guidelines for Cleaning and Preparing External- and Internal-Use Ultrasound Transducers and Equipment Between Patients as Well as Safe Handling and Use of Ultrasound Coupling Gel.

AIUM Official Statement: Guidelines for Cleaning and Preparing External- and Internal-Use Ultrasound Transducers and Equipment Between Patients as Well as Safe Handling and Use of Ultrasound Coupling Gel.

Frugal indigenous vessel loop made from a surgical glove.

We report a simple cost effective alternative to commercially available vessel loops made from sterilized surgical gloves for retraction of vital structures during vascular trauma, micro-vascular, micro-neural surgery.

Reshaping de Novo Protein Switches into Bioresponsive Materials for Biomarker, Toxin, and Viral Detection.

De novo designed protein switches are powerful tools to specifically and sensitively detect diverse targets with simple chemiluminescent readouts. Finding an appropriate material host for de novo designed protein switches without altering their thermodynamics while preserving their intrinsic stability over time would enable the development of a variety of sensing formats to monitor exposure to pathogens, toxins, and for disease diagnosis. Here, a de novo protein-biopolymer hybrid that maintains the detection capabilities induced by the conformational change of the incorporated proteinsin response to analytes of interest is generated in multiple, shelf-stable material formats without the need of refrigerated storage conditions. A set of functional demonstrator devices including personal protective equipment such as masks and laboratory gloves, free-standing films, air quality monitors, and wearable devices is presented to illustrate the versatility of the approach. Such formats are designed to be responsive to human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2), anti-hepatitis B (HBV) antibodies, Botulinum neurotoxin B (BoNT/B), and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This combination of form and function offers wide opportunities for ubiquitous sensing in multiple environments by enabling a large class of bio-responsive interfaces of broad utility.

Modeling and concepts of the Malingue plasty compared to Z-plasty

Malingue's diamond-shaped skin plasty is a random skin plasty derived from the Z-plasty. Not widely known, this technique is an alternative to fasciectomy in Dupuytren’s disease. The main objective of the present study was to analyze the topographical and anatomical differences between Z-plasty and Malingue plasty in cadaveric and experimental models and the geometrical and mathematical differences in modeling, in order to determine the respective gains in length. The study was carried out in two steps. An anatomical step on a cadaveric model studied vascularization. The second step was based on inert models (latex gloves) and cadaveric models, to study the mechanical behavior of the flaps. Differences in gains in length were analyzed by Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometry. The Malingue plasty flaps showed greater vascular richness than in Z-plasty. The experimental cadaver and inert material models showed 50% length gain with a single Malingue plasty, versus 33.3% with Z-plasty. The gain decreased in multiple plasties: respectively, 25% and 17.5% with double plasty and 20% and 16.7% with triple plasty. The analysis of Euclidean plane geometry did not explain these results, whereas 3D analysis on non-Euclidean geometry can explain a superior elongation effect in the Malingue plasty. The Malingue plasty could be an interesting option when significant lengthening is required, especially when Z-plasty would be insufficient.

Evaluation of Glove Performance after Decontamination.

Studies of healthcare providers doffing personal protective equipment, especially gloves, indicate that self-contamination does occur. Although generally this is not hazardous, working with particularly pathogenic organisms, such as Ebola virus and Clostridium difficile, can present a serious health risk. Decontaminating medical gloves before removal can reduce self-contamination and mitigate the spread of these types of pathogens. Also, in cases of extreme shortage, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has specific recommendations for decontaminating gloves for extended use. Reuse of medical gloves is strongly discouraged by both the CDC and Food and Drug Administration. This work seeks to lay a foundation of testing to evaluate whether a decontamination method is compatible for a given glove type and material. Four potential methods of decontamination (commercial hand soap, alcohol-based hand sanitizer, commercial bleach, and quaternary ammonium solution) were tested on a variety of surgical and patient examination gloves. The method of barrier performance evaluation was ASTM D5151-19, Standard Test Method for Detection of Holes in Medical Gloves. Our results indicated that the performance of the gloves after treatment was highly dependent on the composition of the medical gloves. In general, the surgical gloves in this study performed better than the patient examination gloves, regardless of the material from which they were made. Specifically, vinyl examination gloves tended to have poorer performance. In this study, the number of gloves available to test were limited and therefore statistical significance is beyond the scope of this project.

Survival of Xanthomonas fragariae on Common Materials.

Xanthomonas fragariae causes strawberry angular leaf spot (ALS), an important disease for the strawberry nursery industry in North America. To identify potential inoculum sources, the survival of X. fragariae was examined on the surfaces of 11 common materials found in nurseries: corrugated cardboard, cotton balls, cotton cloth (t-shirt), strawberry leaf, sheet metal, plastic, rubber, Tyvek, wood (balsa), glass (microscope slide), and latex (latex glove). Prefabricated rectangular samples (7.62 by 2.54 cm) of each material were immersed in a bacterial suspension for 15 min, after which the samples were stored at approximately 20°C (room temperature) or -4°C (the cold storage temperature for dormant plants in strawberry nurseries) for 1, 3, 7, 14, 30, 60, 90, 180, 270, and 365 days after inoculation (DAI). After the storage period elapsed, bacteria were recovered from the surfaces of each of the samples with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)-soaked cotton balls. Survival rate was determined with a viability real-time quantitative PCR procedure and in a plant bioassay that involved rub inoculation of strawberry leaflets with the PBS-soaked cotton balls used to recover bacteria from the samples. Results showed that X. fragariae could survive on all surfaces but that survival rate differed among materials and storage temperature. All materials were capable of harboring viable bacteria up to 7 DAI when stored at -4°C based on the formation of lesions on inoculated leaves in the plant bioassay. The longest survival observed was 270 DAI on cardboard stored at -4°C. At room temperature, cardboard, cotton balls, cotton t-shirt, and strawberry leaf tissue supported small bacterial populations up to 14 DAI. The information from this study can be used to improve sanitation practices for ALS management in strawberry nurseries.

Single-port transumbilical pediatric cholecystectomy: any benefits for the patient?

To compare the perioperative results of single-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SPLC) with those of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), and to analyze whether there were any differences between both techniques in our patients. A retrospective, observational analysis was carried out in non-homogeneous groups of patients under 15 years of age undergoing LC and SPLC over a 6-year period. LC was conducted using four ports, while SPLC was performed through an umbilical incision using a wound retractor to which a surgical glove was coupled for the insertion of 3 ports and instruments curved as required. 15 clinical, surgical, and economic variables were compared by means of a univariate and bivariate analysis. 11 patients underwent surgery - 5 through SPLC and 6 through LC. No significant differences were found in terms of mean operating time (SPLC: 144 minutes vs. LC: 139, P= 0.855) or hospital stay, but a slight increase in hospital cost was noted (SPLC: 1,160 € vs. LC: 1,177 €). The cost of LC was 1,322 € vs. 1,367 € for SPLC, with a premium of 44.30 € owing to the use of the wound retractor. None of the patients had perioperative complications, and all of them felt the cosmetic result was excellent. In our limited experience, the differences between SPLC and LC do not clearly support one or the other. SPLC could provide patients with a better cosmetic result and allow surgeons to improve their skills. However, we believe cholecystectomy is not the most adequate procedure to start a career in single-port laparoscopy because potential complications may be severe.

On the Use, Effectiveness, and Safety of Face Masks, Gloves, and Disinfectants to Prevent Transfer of Microbials between the Tattooist and the Customer: A Practical Review of Pros and Cons Including the Occupational Safety of the Tattooist.

Tattooists and their customers are under special risk of airborne infection because of the short distance during the procedure and the unavoidable exchange of expired and inhaled air potentially containing droplets holding pathogenic germs. Moreover, the manual procedure involves a significant risk of contamination through physical contact. A range of personal protective equipment (PPE) is available, including three-layered disposable surgical masks, cotton masks, respirators without or with expiration valve, visors and shields, goggles, medical gloves and aprons. Disinfectant fluids and wipes are used for skin and physical objects. Alcohol is used but may evaporate too fast and lose biocidal efficiency; it carries risk of fire. Alternatives such as chlorine and a range of new disinfectants listed in the EU biocide directive should be considered as alternatives. PPEs and disinfectants are subject to formal testing and classification. EU and US requirements are visited. No PPE and no disinfectant have 100% efficiency. Efficiency of masks is influenced negatively by the reduced breathability from masks and respirators with leakage of air between mask perimeter and the skin. Gloves have micro-porosity dependent on wear time and already after 30 min become less efficient. The humid microclimate under masks and gloves easily causes skin problems. Thus, there are many pros and cons to consider. Thoughts on ideal aim, sound sense and realistic application of PPE and disinfectants in daily routine in tattoo parlours are provided, the risk and health of the tattooist included.

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Nitrile Gloves Exposed to Chemical Germicide on Medical Devices in Central Sterile Services Department

Nitrile gloves are commonly used in Central Sterile Services Department in order to be often used when manually cleaning medical equipment such as personal protective equipment. As a result they are resistant to a wide range of chemicals and germicides, including alcohols, peroxides, and other sterilizing agents. In addition to providing chemical protection, nitrile gloves are resistant to punctures and tears, which is important when working with sharp medical instruments. This research focuses on the efficacy of gloves in relation to the multi-chemicals or compounds of nitrile gloves and observation at the point of use to remove soil and contact with chemicals on medical devices at the Central Sterile Supply Department. The powder-free nitrile exam gloves and extended cuff methods of chemical analysis of permeation testing of standard practice for assessment of resistance of medical gloves to permeation by chemotherapy drugs (ASTM D 6978-05), EN455 Part 1: 2000 were used to test the test method for single-use medical gloves. The standard of protective gloves against dangerous chemicals and microorganisms was tested by EN 420:2003 + A1:2009, EN388: 2016, ISO 374-1:2016, and ISO 374-5:2016. The testing of chemotherapy drugs and UV/NIS absorption spectrometry were used to measure the absorbance of test chemicals, which permeated through the specimens into the collection medium. The collection medium was circulated in a closed loop at an 11 ml/minute flow rate through the testing period. As a result, a glove user must protect against the specific chemicals or chemical mixtures to which they were exposed while manually cleaning medical devices. The physical properties of the gloves were evaluated by visual observations at the point of use for soil removal and chemical exposure to medical devices at the Central Sterile Supply Department of five hospitals. The results showed that nitrile gloves protected chemical exposure during manual cleaning of medical equipment at the point of use.

Prevalence and Patterns of Latex Glove Allergy among Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Care Center in South India - A Cross-Sectional Study.

Prevalence and Patterns of Latex Glove Allergy among Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Care Center in South India - A Cross-Sectional Study.

The surgeon's touch: Impact of surgical glove powder on the formation of capsular contracture

The surgeon's touch: Impact of surgical glove powder on the formation of capsular contracture

History of the surgical glove

Gloves were introduced following the realization that one needs to maintain a protective environment during surgery or childbirth to avoid infections and post-surgical complications.

SKIN REACTIONS DUE TO THE USE OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT ON HEALTHCARE WORKERS IN COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Since coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases discovered and became a global problem around the world, healthcare workers (HCWs) are the most frequently confronted with covid patient. The number of cases in Indonesia is quite high, including in Samarinda. Because this virus is very easily transmitted, the use of appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) on all healthcare workers when carrying out their duties is a must. This applies not only to healthcare workers on duty at covid treatment centers, but also to all health agencies. Face masks, faceshields, medical gloves, coveralls are the types of PPE which used for a long enough duration, can cause unwanted reactions on the wearer's skin. If this reaction is very disturbing and ongoing, it can affect the compliance or influnce their quality of life.
 The purpose of this study is to determine the diversity of skin disorders that occur to healthcare workers related to the use of PPE, the types of PPE that can cause skin disorders, the relationship between the duration of PPE used and the incidence of skin disorders. The results of this study can later be used as a basis for recommendations of preventive measures for skin reactions. This research is an analytical descriptive study, taking data onto cross section using a questionnaire. The respondents of the study were healthcare workers that served for health institutions in the Samarinda region.

Molecular epidemiology of human papillomavirus in pregnant women in Burkina Faso.

Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is widespread among sexually active individuals. Several factors may contribute to increased risk of infection in pregnant women. The objective of this study was to determine the high-risk (HR-HPV) and low-risk (LR-HPV) oncogenic HPV genotypes among pregnant women in Ouagadougou. In this study, 100 endocervical samples were collected using a sterile swab on the sterile examination glove used during vaginal examination in pregnant women. DNA from each sample was amplified by PCR followed by hybridization using the HPV Direct Flow Chips kit detecting 36 HPV genotypes. Twenty-three percent (23%) of pregnant women had HPV infection. Of the 36 genotypes tested, 29 genotypes had been identified with a predominance of HPV 52 (10.34%), HPV 35 (6.89%), and HPV 82 (6.89%) for high risk and HPV 43 (10.34%), HPV 44/55 (6.90%), and HPV 62/81 (6.89%) for low risk. HPV is common among pregnant women in Burkina Faso. However, the available vaccines do not cover the frequent genotypes found in this study. HPV could therefore constitute a threat for pregnant women and a risk of infection for the newborn.

The Post-pandemic Impact on Nature and the Need for Sustainable Recovery Strategies

Covid-19 pandemic is not only threatening public health, it also caused major decline in several other sectors when most countries in the world taking stringent containment measures to flatten the infection curve. But, it also led to the reduction in water and air pollutions that gives advantage to the environment. Since the transportation and industrial activities reduced dramatically, the emission of greenhouse gasses significantly reduced at the lowest rate. It allows the quality of air in the main cities getting better, while the natural environment could recover slowly. In addition, some animals are observed to get their natural life back and the environment including wildlife is having a recovery period and enjoyable time during this moment. However, it might not last very long, since another issue arise affecting environment again. The plastic pollution is reported to increase due to littered disposable mask and glove to the streets, escalators, drains, rivers, beaches and ocean. Littered surgical masks and medical gloves are clogging major waterways. At the same time, marine mammals such as seabirds and turtles are at risk of severe injuries and death as they mistakenly see the bright colours of latex gloves and masks as food to consume. Besides, the lockdown has almost negligible effect to climate crisis according to the recent studies since it has little impact to overall CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. At the meantime, rebound effect is expected to occur more significantly months after the lockdown order is lifted especially with large government investment to promote a rapid return to economic recovery. Therefore, while we are fighting the pandemic for the good of all people and the country, we should also put environmental care into our consideration. Islam teaches us several principles related to environment protection that comprise of the concept of guardianship on earth, preservation of environment, the mercy and manner towards animals and environment, recognition to other creatures and their contribution to humans, including a reminder from God to keep ecological sustainability through the concept of balance. The lesson from Islamic teachings is necessary especially during this recovery period from the pandemic. This chapter ended with list of policy recommendation on how to properly reset, restore and recover a nation in the post-lockdown period without the expense of environment.

An update on permeation of protective medical gloves by antineoplastic drugs

Occupational exposure to antineoplastic drugs (ADs) handling and administration is one of the main risks in the healthcare sector. Dermal absorption represents the primary route of exposure to ADs. Personal preventive equipment, especially medical gloves, is crucial to safeguard the workers health in ADs handling; thus, chemicals permeating through protective materials is an essential aspect to estimate and consider. Several studies on permeation through medical gloves reported that breakthrough time and permeation rate are the values that must be studied, observing that physical-chemical properties of drugs, PPE materials and thickness, and temperature are crucial features to estimate them. In the European Union, standardized permeation testing is not mandatory for gloves used in ADs manipulation, in contrast with the United States, that proposed stringent requirements in the American Society of Testing and Materials International standard D6978-05. This review would help identify the main characteristics of the best protective glove used by employees frequently exposed to ADs: the major aspects implicated in permeation, reported in the literature, are listed and discussed.

Rubber gloves in orthopaedic surgery (part II): Cooke and Goodyear; Halsted and Caroline's gloves of love; from cotton to rubber after Perthes' experiments; double glove technique with Urist.

This study determines the timeline for surgeons adopting rubber gloves and the double glove technique in the operating room for orthopaedic surgery. Using the vague historical terms of discovery, acceptance, commonplace, and consistency, we analyzed the influence of the different actors in each period. Cotton or silk was used for early gloves; they were permeable, sometimes coated with paraffin. Uses of rubber date to the 1600s when the Mesoamericans used rubber to make shoes. After the discovery of rubber in 1735 by the French scientist Charles de la Condamine in Peru, the rubber glove was imagined in 1834 and done for the first time by R. F. Cooke. The acceptance of rubber gloves arrived when the Goodyear-Rubber Society began to manufacture rubber gloves. Halsted, at Johns Hopkins Hospital, negotiated in 1889 with the Goodyear Rubber Company to produce thin rubber gloves to protect his nurse's hands from the dermatologic effects of the carbolic acid used to sterilize instruments. Commonplace to protect patients from bacteria of hand surgeons necessitated several decades. Dr. Joseph Bloodgood (Halsted's senior resident) remarked that gloving the surgeon with rubber gloves reduced the infection rate. Still, surgeons were reluctant to wear gloves that impaired the sense of touch. Laboratory experiments performed by G. Perthes on cotton and rubber gloves were necessary to generalize rubber gloves for practice in orthopaedic surgery. Consistency of the double-glove technique arrived during World War II when M. Urist proposed the double protection against bites from bone or bullet fragments while exploring war wounds. Only in 1965, when The Ansell Rubber Company utilized gamma irradiation as a low-cost method of sterilizing the gloves they produced, did disposable gloves become sterile. This article helps to understand the detailed discussions before surgical gloves' modern operating equipment.