A global inventory of hospitals using powder-free gloves: A search for principled medical leadership

Scientific experimental and clinical studies have demonstrated that cornsta rch on surgical and examination gloves promotes disease by acting as a reac tive foreign body in tissue and serving as a vector for latex allergy. Cons equently, hospitals have selected an innovative glove selection program uti lizing only powder-free gloves. Healthcare workers in emergency medical sys tems are now wearing powder-free, latex-free gloves to care for the growing number of patients sensitized to latex. A global Internet search has now i dentified 70 hospitals in the United States and three hospitals in Europe t hat use only powder-free gloves. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc.