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Conclusion,

So how can a user or purchaser make sense of a manufacturers claims ? It is not a trivial matter. M. Fay Citation:Fay Amsterdam Conference 1996 states that selection criteria should be used to identify known risk factors, and then glove features selected that minimise those risk factors and increase the chances of positive patient, worker and institutional outcomes. Gloves can be screened by collecting and evaluating evidence based on the factors in table 4 above. Fay proposes that potential purchasers ask the following questions:

• Is the product safe ? Does it meet regulatory criteria (for example, does it comply with EN-455 Part 1 and 2) ?

• Does it fulfill its intended purpose ?

• Is the product better than a currently stocked item ?

• Are product claims supported by independent testing laboratories or clinical research published in a referred medical journal ?

• Can the increased cost for the products be offset by proven savings from risk reduction ?

By understanding the process of glove manufacture and the key safety parameters, it should thus be possible to determine whether the gloves on offer are acceptable or not. In the future further advances in latex and synthetic glove manufacture can be expected (such as fumed silica latex Citation:Anand Amsterdam 1996 fumed silica and highly deproteinated latex Citation:Nakade low-allergen NR products ) which will produce gloves with negligible allergen content and improved physical and mechanical properties.

I would like to thank Mr Ray Russell-Fell, rubber consultant, for technical information on latex manufacture and for reviewing this article. All errors and omissions are, however, those of the author.

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