Dusting powders were first applied to gloves to facilitate donning. After 1980, manufacturers devised innovative techniques to manufacture gloves without dusting powders. It has been well documented that the powders on gloves present a health hazard to patients, as well as healthcare workers. First, these powders elicit tissue toxicity in every tissue in the body. Second, these powders serve as carriers of
latex allergen and may precipitate a life-threatening
allergic reaction in sensitized patients. These well-documented hazards of glove powders have caused a growing number of emergency medical technicians, paramedics, firelighters, and hospitals to abandon the use of powdered emergency medical examination gloves, using only
powder-free gloves.
Powder-free
latex as well as non-
latex gloves are now available to emergency medical technicians, paramedics, firefighters, and emergency department personnel. The use of
powder-free
natural rubber latex-free gloves is especially important to emergency medical technicians, paramedics, firefighters, as well as emergency department personnel to avoid eliciting an
allergic reaction in the
latex sensitized patient. The majority of our emergency medical technicians, paramedics and firefighters are now wearing
powder-free emergency medical examination gloves that comply with the stringent Codes and Standards established by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), while very few hospital emergency department personnel have been provided with NFPA approved gloves. It is the purpose of this report to review the stringent regulations for emergency medical examination gloves that are outlined by the NFPA. This design and performance Standard was devised by the NFPA to address
protective clothing for emergency medical operations. The design and performance requirement of the emergency medical examination gloves were described in the NFPA 1999, Standard on
Protective Clothing for Emergency Medical Operations, 1997 Edition. In September 2003, the emergency medical examination glove must meet the new design and performance requirements of emergency medical examination gloves discussed