Plastic Gloves Research Articles

A Questionnaire Survey of Ovine Dystocia Management in the United Kingdom

AbstractA questionnaire survey of farm experience, undertaken during lambing time in the year 2000 by 95 second-year veterinary undergraduate students, highlighted numerous areas of concern. On those farms attended, more than one third of shepherds (32; 34%) neither washed their hands in an approved scrub nor used arm-length disposable plastic gloves before attempted correction of a lambing problem. Sheep received a prophylactic antibiotic injection after an assisted lambing on just 33 farms (35%), while the majority of farmers (62 farms; 65%) treated only those ewes that became sick some days after assisted lambing. Veterinary assistance was requested to only 22 of 359 (6.1%) dystocia cases from a sample population of 79 610 lowground ewes. When lambs could not be delivered by farm staff the ewes were either humanely destroyed (65) or injected with antibiotics but subsequently died because of ensuing toxaemia from the emphysematous lambs in utero (272).

Refractory hand dermatitis

Hand dermatitis is often dismissed by medical practitioners as being trivial because of the limited area of skin involvement. However, the morbidity of sufferers is often not comprehended. All too often patients are not given the benefit of full investigation with appropriate treatment. Psoriasis localized to the hands is frequently misdiagnosed as hyperkeratotic eczema and requires potent treatment to clear. Fungal infections are also commonly overlooked. The majority of hand dermatitis seen in the community is due to irritant contact factors. The importance of identifying all the factors relevant to irritation needs to be communicated to patients. Good hand care needs to be maintained for a minimum period of 3 months after recovery to prevent relapses from occurring. Common failures of response are due to inadequate usage of a potent enough steroid, lack of occlusion, and failure to apply emollients with enough frequency. Any patient with hand dermatitis that has not responded after 4 weeks to advice on improved hand care combined with first-line treatment should be investigated for potential Type I and 1 V hypersensitivity. The pattern of involvement of the hands is often no clue as to causation. No patient should be told to change occupation without such investigations. Primary occupations are often blamed for the cause of dermatitis but in reality secondary occupations and domestic exposure may be the real reason for lack of response to treatment. Patients with resistant hand dermatitis may have to be considered for second line therapies including PUVA, cyclosporin, methotrexate and retinoids. Suggested instruction sheet for patients with hand dermatitis 1 Hand washing: Use lukewarm water and a soap substitute (e.g. Wash E45, Aqueous cream, Emulsifying ointment). If your hands are dirty use a nonperfumed soap without tar or sulphur. The soap should be used sparingly and the hands thoroughly rinsed. Dry carefully with a clean towel, especially between the fingers. If soap is used this should be followed with the application of a nonperfumed moisturizer. 2 If your skin is dry use a nonperfumed moisturizer (e.g. E45 cream, Diprobase cream Neutrogena Norwegian Formula hand cream, Aqueous cream, Oily cream BP, Emulsifying ointment, Liquid Paraffin/White Soft Paraffin) as frequently as possible to restore a feeling of suppleness. As your skin improves the frequency can be reduced. You can use different ones at different times of the day with less greasy preparations used when undertaking paperwork. 3 Avoid contact with detergents and other strong cleansing agents. 4 Avoid contact with shampoo. Use plastic gloves or let someone else shampoo your hair or your children's hair. 5 Avoid contact with polish: metal, wax, shoe, floor, car, furniture and window polishes. 6 Avoid contact with solvents: white spirits, petrol, paraffin, turps, thinners and trichlorethylene (tric). 7 Do not peel or squeeze citrus fruits with bare hands: oranges, lemons, limes, satsumas. 8 Do not apply hair lotion, hair cream or hair dye with bare hands. 9 Wear warm gloves in cold weather. 10 Rings should not be worn for work or housework until the skin has been clear for 3 months. Never wash your hands with soap while wearing a ring. Keep the inside of rings clean (brush under running water). 11 For washing up use running water if possible keeping the temperature of the water low. Use long handled brushes rather than cloths. Always wear gloves when in contact with washing up liquid or detergents. 12 When gloves are worn, use PVC rather than rubber – preferably with cotton gloves inside to reduce sweating and friction. They should not be worn for more than 20 minutes at a time. If water happens to enter a glove, it should be immediately removed. Gloves should be turned inside out and rinsed under warm water several times a week. The outside gloves should be replaced every few weeks for home use and more frequently for industrial use. 13 Washing machines and dishwashers are an ideal way of preventing further attacks. Use a measure when handling detergent powder. Remember that the resistance of the skin is lowered for at least 4 or 5 months after the dermatitis has apparently healed. Therefore continue to follow these instructions.

Metalworking Fluid Hand Dermatitis.

In a household appliance plant, several rinse-free lubricating fluids have been used instead of neat mineral oils since 1994: mixtures of isoparaffinic hydrocarbons with 9 to 14 carbons per molecule. As such they denature keratin, irritate and defat the skin, and remove water from it. Work gloves have been worn over plastic gloves and separate, reusable, cotton inner gloves have been added to absorb sweat since skin problems were first recognized in 1994. All 74 males (mean +/- SD, 38.8 +/- 8.0 years) who work with the fluids were interviewed and given cutaneous examinations when indicated. While 4 cases of severe dermatitis and 31 cases of mild dermatitis were identified, 28 individuals gave a history of similar problems since the use of lubricating fluids. Their symptoms were typical of primary skin irritation. The hands were the commonly affected region (63 of 63 cases: 100%), followed by the thighs (15.9%) and trunk (11.1%). The work-related skin symptoms identified were less common in workers who immediately removed the liquid with soap and water, when it is spilled on the hands, than in those who did not, but the difference was not statistically significant (7/23 (30.4%) vs. 28/51 (54.9%), p=0.051 by chi-square test). Since skin contact with metalworking fluids (MWF) is often unavoidable, good personal hygiene is important in minimizing potential adverse health effects. Health education thus remains the most important preventive measure against irritant contact dermatitis among workers handling MWFs.

Phosphate ceramic process for macroencapsulation and stabilization of low-level debris wastes

Across the DOE complex, large quantities of contaminated debris and irradiated lead bricks have been accumulated for disposal. Under the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Alternative Treatment Standards, the preferred method of disposal of these wastes is macroencapsulation. Chemically bonded phosphate ceramic (CBPC) is a novel binder that was developed at Argonne National Laboratory to stabilize and solidify various low-level mixed wastes. This binder is extremely strong, dense, and impervious to water. In this investigation, CBPC has been used to demonstrate macroencapsulation of various contaminated debris wastes, including cryofractured debris, lead bricks, lead-lined plastic gloves, and mercury-contaminated crushed glass. This paper describes the fabrication of the waste forms, as well as the results of various characterizations performed on the waste forms. The results show that the simple and low-cost CBPC is an excellent material system for the macroencapsulation of debris wastes.

Isolation of total RNA from bacteria.

The susceptibihty of RNA to degradation by exogenous and endogenous RNase activity following cell lysis has been well documented (,). Moreover RNA usually occurs complexed with protein from which it must be released. Precautions to be taken against exogenous RNase include the use of plastic gloves, autoclavmg solutions after adding 0.1% (v/v) diethyl pyrocarbonate (DEPC; except Trrs, which reacts), and baking glassware, spatulas, and so forth at 180°C overnight ().

Risk factors for Raynaud's phenomenon among workers in poultry slaughterhouses and canning factories.

Apart from the use of vibrating tools, little is known about risk factors for Raynaud's phenomenon. However, it has been hypothesized that this disorder may have a multifactorial aetiology, involving potential causal or triggering factors which can be found in the workplace. The objective of the study is to identify individual and occupational risk factors of Raynaud's phenomenon in a population of workers not exposed to vibration, but exposed to cold. The survey was carried out in 1987-1988 in 17 poultry slaughterhouses and six canning factories and included 1474 employees. Data were collected at the annual visit to the occupational health physician. Finger sensitivity to cold and Raynaud's phenomenon were identified from a list of symptoms occurring from exposure to cold. The role of potential risk factors was assessed using multiple logistic regression. A high prevalence of symptoms of finger sensitivity to cold was observed. Raynaud's phenomenon was more common in women than in men, was related to family history of the disease but not to smoking or alcohol consumption. After controlling for non-occupational factors, the following working conditions appeared as risk factors for Raynaud's phenomenon: use of plastic gloves, less than four rest breaks, breaks in an unheated place, continual repetition of the same series of operations, exertion of the arm or hand and being able to think of something else while working. The study showed that a number of working conditions were associated with an increased risk of Raynaud's phenomenon and finger sensitivity to cold. Changes in working conditions might reduce the risk of this disorder in the food processing industry.

Evaluation of Two Negative-Air Glove Bag Techniques for Asbestos Removal

Abstract Two “negative pressure,” modified glove bag containment techniques were independently evaluated at two separate study sites to assess the effectiveness of these techniques in controlling asbestos exposures to the environment and the worker. The Aero-Pipe Capsule® (APC) is a rigid, reinforced plastic glove box; a large plastic bag, sealed to the lower sides of the APC with an elastic band, closes the open bottom of the APC and provides a replaceable receptacle for debris. The custom fabricated negative-air glove bag (CNAGB) was constructed on site from polyethylene film, gauntlet gloves or prefabricated glove and arm inserts, spray adhesive, and tape. Worker exposures to asbestos, as determined by phase contrast microscopy (PCM), were less than the Occupational Safety and Health Administration permissible exposure limit of 200,000 fibers per cubic meter of air (f/m3) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommended exposure limit (REL) of 100,000 f/m3 with both con...

Precautions against HIV transmission in hospitals.

This article deals with the precautions necessary for handling blood in a hospital environment. It is known that most people who present to the hospital setting may be unknowingly infected with HIV virus, and thus exposure to blood should be handled with care. Routinely, anyone who is at risk of coming in contact with contaminated blood should wear gloves. The nature of the gloves should differ according to the responsibility at hand. Thus plastic gloves should be used for vaginal examinations, standard rubber gloves for deliveries and surgical operations, and heavy duty gloves for scrubbing floors. Soap and water should be readily available for personnel in the event that presumed infected blood comes in contact with skin. A concentration of 0.5% sodium hypochlorite should always be available in the clinical setting, to treat unforseen blood spills. Instruments contaminated with blood could be adequately handled by using sterilization methods which are commonly in use. Boiling the instrument for 20 minutes in hot water is adequate disinfection. However, this method is not sufficient for fiber optic instruments; instead manufacturer's instruction should be followed. Steam sterilizers or autoclaves are more efficient for surgical instruments such as artery forceps. Clearly, simple methods of disinfection are adequate in killing HIV virus, and given that many people are already infected with HIV, sterilization would be a useful routine to practice in most hospitals in the developing countries.

Rubber Anaphylaxis

NATURAL rubber has long been known to cause contact dermatitis, and rubber and plastic gloves frequently aggravate preexisting atopic dermatitis. Nutter's report of contact urticaria in reaction to rubber1 has been followed by several others from Europe,2 3 4 5 6 7 and recent case reports suggest that rhinitis,8 asthma,9 , 10 and anaphylaxis11 12 13 14 15 16 may also be associated with exposure to rubber. This report describes skin tests and histamine-release experiments in two children with spina bifida who had anaphylaxis during operations. Each of the children had a history of urticaria after exposure to rubber products, and this investigation suggests that anaphylaxis was due in both cases to . . .

How to Protect the Hands

Hand protection entails many problems. There is a wide variety of individual differences in the types of skin among human beings, and an even wider variety of chemicals to be handled and working methods to be learned in various workplaces. There are great differences in the degree of experience and education among job applicants and thus in their ability to understand the importance of instructions on safe working methods and the use of personal protective equipment. Therefore, proper employee selection is an important and demanding task for occupational health care personnel and dermatologists. Despite these complexities, an appropriate means of hand protection is essential in the prevention of many skin disorders and injuries.

The Spencer Op-Site Applicator, a new technique for treating the burned hand

A technique to apply Op-Site Incise Drape to the burned hand is described using the Spencer Op-Site Applicator. The technique allows for the use of a transparent, flexible, semi-permeable plastic glove in the management of the burned hand in all age-groups. This minimizes excoriation of normal tissue but allows full flexibility of the hand with good healing.

Dermatitis and urticaria from rubber and plastic gloves.

The number and nature of allergic occupational glove dermatoses were analysed. 542 cases of allergic contact dermatosis were diagnosed during 1974-1983. Amongst these, 68 (12.5%) were caused by rubber or plastic gloves. 2 patients had contact urticaria due to rubber gloves. Gloves were the main cause of occupational allergic rubber eczema, inducing 63 (58.3%) of 108 rubber eczema cases. 38 of them had positive reactions to rubber chemicals and glove material, 14 to glove material only, and 11 to rubber chemicals. 5 cases of allergic eczema from plastic gloves were diagnosed, all due to polyvinyl chloride (PVC). 2 cases of contact urticaria from natural rubber gloves were diagnosed by a provocation test. Epicutaneous testing with material of natural rubber gloves and rubber chemicals was negative. The present study shows that allergy to rubber gloves is usual, while allergy to plastic gloves is rare. Thus, plastic gloves should be used, when possible. Patch testing with protective gloves should always be used when patients develop prolonged hand dermatitis and where the possibility of glove eczema exists.

Organic pigment as a cause of plastic glove dermatitis.

Organic pigment as a cause of plastic glove dermatitis.

540 FACTORS W THE POSSIBLE NOSOCOMIAL SPREAD OF HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE TYPE b (HIB)

Top of pageAbstract Serial nasopharyngeal (np) cultures for Hib were obtained from twenty-three children (ages 2 months to 9 years) with invasive Hib disease during systemic antibiotic therapy (ampieillin, chloramphenicol, or both). During the first 12 hours of antibiotic therapy, 4 of 10 (40%) np cultures were positive; during the first 24 hours of therapy, 6 of 25 (24%) were positive. None of the 74 cultures obtained after 25 hours of therapy (median = 5 days) were positive for Hib. Four of six children who had received no antibiotics at the time of the initial np culture were culture positive and had moderate (21 to 100 cfu/plate) or many (>100 cfu/plate) Hib present. The positive cultures obtained more than three hours after the first dose of appropriate therapy had rare “5 cfu/plate) Hib present. Reconstruction experiments to investigate the survival of Hib in the environment were performed using 103, 105 or 107 cfu Hib mixed with tracheal secretions and applied to various surfaces. Using 103 cfu, all surfaces tested had no Hib recovered beyond 15 min. after contamination. Using 105 or 107 cfu, Hib was recovered from stainless steel, plastic laminate countertop and plastic gloves for at least 120 min. and from paper towels up to 15 or 45 min. after contamination. No Hib was isolated beyond 1 min. from cotton sheets. These results suggest that respiratory secretion precautions for patients hospitalized with invasive Hib disease should be maintained for 48 hours after initiation of adequate antimicrobial therapy to prevent possible nosocomial spread of this organism.

An Evaluation of Handle Shapes and Sizes

In many industries there are numerous hand tools in use which vary considerably in handle size and shape with no apparent reasons. This research sought to investigate capabilities of males and females on two thrust maximum force tests, using various shapes and sizes of handles. To accentuate the characteristics of each size and shape, the force tests were conducted with the coefficient of friction between the hand and the handle surface reduced by the use of a disposable plastic glove and the application of a slippery film.

Gram-Negative Sepsis in Neonates: A Nursery Outbreak Due to Hand Carriage of Citrobacter diversus

An outbreak of Citrobacter diversus infections occurred in a newborn nursery at a 350-bed community hospital during September and October 1978. Two infants developed sepsis and meningitis and nine additional infants had asymptomatic umbilical colonization. These infants did not differ from control, noncolonized infants with respect to numerous clinical and environmental variables. Surveillance cultures failed to implicate an environmental source for the Citrobacter. However, cultures of nursery personnel identified a hand-carrier whose removal eliminated neonatal colonization with C diversus and decreased the number of isolates of certain other enteric bacteria found on umbilical stumps. Factors implicated in the perpetuation of the carrier state in this nurse included marked dermatitis from repeated hand washing and hand care practices involving the overnight use of plastic gloves and nutritive hand cream. The mode of transmission within the nursery appeared to be from nurse's hands to infant's umbilicus. Use of triple dye on umbilical stumps and chlorhexidine hand washing preparations did not eliminate this cycle. Surgical manipulation of colonized umbilical stumps may have been responsible for illness in two infants.

Penetration of protective gloves by epoxy resin

A gas jointer developed dermatitis from epoxy resin of Bisphenol A type. This substance penetrates plastic and rubber gloves. The man was compelled to change his job. There is a need for new types of gloves which are impermeable. The wearing of the existing types of glove by those not sensitised may be worthwhile because it probably lessens the dose of allergen absorbed and hence lessens the incidence of sensitisation.

Winter Pregnancy Rates and Subsequent Fall Cow/Calf Ratios in Elk

Free-ranging elk (Cervus canadensis) wintering at the Hardware Ranch Game Management Unit near Logan, Utah were diagnosed for pregnancy by rectal palpation. Anatomical changes in gravid and nongravid uteri of cattle were found directly applicable to elk. Correlations between winter pregnancy rates and subsequent fall cow/calf ratios indicated that pregnancy checks would give wildlife managers a sixto eight-month forecast of an elk herd's productivity, assuming preand postpuberal losses remained constant. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 38(4):789-791 Intensified elk management programs require detailed reproductive information to provide a knowledgeable basis for herd manipulations. Available information on various species demonstrates that reproductive processes vary from one population to another, as variables such as climate, weather, and forage change. Rectal palpation generally is accepted to be the most reliable method of detecting pregnancies in bovine, particularly in the early and midgestational periods (Arthur 1964). Greer and Hawkins (1967) first reported the rectal approach for pregnancy determinations in elk. Fig. 1 shows the close correlation between fetal sizes of elk and cattle. It indicates similar fetal growth curves for these two species. METHODS AND MATERIALS The Cache elk herd and the Hardware Ranch Game Management Unit near Logan, Utah provide excellent opportunities to study reproductive parameters. In cooperation with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, free-ranging elk were trapped on the winter feed grounds at the Ranch and cows aged as mature or yearling (Hancock and Low 1956) were examined for pregnancy by rectal palpation during the 196970, 1970-71, and 1971-72 winters. A plastic arm-length glove was used to protect the hand and arm. After the elk were properly restrained in a Powder River squeeze chute, the gloved hand was lubricated and inserted into the rectum. Internal organs were contacted; the genitalia palpated, and the animal's reproductive status recorded. Similarities between cattle and elk uterine and ovarian locations and structure, as well as the senior author's previous experience with cattle, increased the efficiency of elk palpation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Nineteen adult and 5 yearling elk were trapped and rectally palpated during the 1969-70 winter, 60 adults and 23 yearlings in 1970-71, and 39 adults and 13 yearlings in 1971-72 (Table 1). There were no significant differences between the pregnancy rates observed during the 3-year study when statistically tested by chi-square. It is assumed that representative samples were taken and no preor postpuberal losses 1 A contribution of the Utah Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Utah State University, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Wildlife Management Institute, cooperating. 2 Present address: Ralston Purina Company, Checkerboard Square, St. Louis, Missouri 63199. J. Wildl. Manage. 38 (4):1974 789 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.149 on Sat, 09 Jul 2016 06:59:36 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 790 WINTER PREGNANCY RATES IN ELK o Follis and Spillett

A Study of Testing Methods for the Detection of Defects in Disposable Latex and Plastic Glovse

Abstract Several testing methods for the detection of holes in disposable gloves intended for medical use were investigated. An air inflation method was developed which proved to be the most sensitive and reliable. A survey of the quality of commercially available disposable latex and plastic gloves was conducted in which the air inflation method was compared with the pinhole testing procedure prescribed in the Department of Defense specifications for disposable gloves. The air inflation method gave more reliable results.

Sources Of Infection With Pseudomonas Aeruginosa In Patients With TracheostoMy

Summary Over a period of 20 mth all the patients with tracheostomy in an intensive care unit for major injuries were examined frequently, often daily, for the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the tracheal mucus. During the same period the hands of staff and the inanimate environment in the Unit were examined weekly for the presence of Ps. aeruginosa. Numerous isolates of Ps. aeruginosa from these sources were typed by phage and serological methods. Eight outbreaks occurred in which patients had infection with Ps. aeruginosa in the trachea, and there were seven periods between outbreaks when Ps. aeruginosa was not found in samples from tracheostomies. Strains of Ps. aeruginosa isolated in successive outbreaks were of different types. Strains isolated from the environment were usually of types already present in tracheostomies. More rarely strains of types already present in the environment were subsequently found in tracheostomies. There was no endemic infecting strain in patients, though a single type was isolated from sinks, as well as strains of other types that were transient, throughout almost the whole period of the study. This strain from sinks caused infection in patients during four of the eight outbreaks, but was not the first strain to cause infection except in the first outbreak. Of the numerous sources from which Ps. aeruginosa was isolated, and from which patients might become infected, the hands of nurses, physiotherapists and other members of staff seemed to present a special hazard of transferring infection. Other potentially important sources were plastic washing bowls, food and food mixers, and suction apparatus. Many sites commonly associated with Ps. aeruginosa contamination, e.g., nailbrushes, dishcloths, floors and floor mops, sinks and sink mops, were found to be contaminated. Samples of air occasionally yielded a few Ps. aeruginosa. Respiratory ventilators were used on some of the patients who became infected with Ps. aeruginosa, but the evidence suggested that these were not an important source of infection. Blower-humidifiers sometimes became contaminated, but experimental study of this equipment suggested that it was not a likely source of infection. Self-infection may have occurred in one patient. A number of recommendations were made, including the use of disposable plastic gloves for a wide range of nursing procedures, the supply of individual plastic washing bowls disinfected daily, and improvements in the arrangement for suction. Sometimes infection seemed to be due to lapses in technique caused by ignorance or by pressure of work. Prevention of infection of tracheostomies remains a challenge to vigilance and discipline.