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The Journal of School Nursing
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Feature Article

The Use of Latex Gloves in the School Setting

Cathy Koeppen Purcell

Cathy Koeppen Purcell is president of CKP Communications, Alexandria, VA. She has a 21-year history in health care communications, including 5 years with the American Nurses Association. Her recent work as an independent consultant includes projects for the Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council (MREPC), which is charged with educating the public and health professionals on the use of natural rubber latex gloves in health care

In 1987, when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the use of universal precautions in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the demand for medical gloves dramatically increased. Unfortunately, the manufacturing techniques for the most widely-used gloves—natural rubber latex—also changed, in order to expedite production. These changes resulted in an increase in latex allergies, because excessive residual proteins that cause allergies remained on the gloves and became airborne with the gloves’ high level of powder. This allergy concern is especially relevant in the school setting where school nurses are not only concerned about their own well-being, but the well-being of the children in their care. Today, latex gloves are still the most widely used of any medical gloves, but they have much lower levels of protein and are available in low-or no-powder. This article examines whether the current latex gloves indeed reduce the allergenicity of the gloves and how allergy and barrier protection data can assist school nurses in making informed glove choices.

Key Words: allergies • barrier protection • gloves • latex • nitrile • vinyl

The Journal of School Nursing, Vol. 22, No. 4, 207-211 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/10598405050220040401
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