Exposure to powder from medical gloves can cause several undesirable reactions for both healthcare workers and patients alike. For healthcare workers, the reactions caused by powdered gloves vary from well-known allergy symptoms and upper respiratory-tract disorders to pleuritis, myocarditis and irritation of the central nervous system. For the patients, the reactions caused by powdered gloves includes the development of adhesions and granulomas, delayed healing and increased risk of surgical site infections. The documented adverse effects caused by using powdered gloves are the reason for a global decrease in powdered gloves usage, and a shifttowards powder-free gloves. Governments (e.g. Germany, United States, Saudi Arabia, Japan), healthcare institutions (e.g. NHS, Hospital Authority of Hong Kong), and accrediting agencies around theworld are banning and/or restricting the use of powdered medical gloves. They recommend that those involved in health and safety policy decisions switch their organizations from powdered gloves to powder-free latex and/or synthetic gloves, as an effective method of reducing both patient complications associated with powdered gloves and the incidence of asthma and latex allergy in healthcare providers.

Through a review of the available scientific literature, this education module examines the risks associated with powdered glove use to both healthcare providers and patients. Discusses the global powdered glove bans and strategies to prevent exposure to glove powder. Alternatively, there are other medical gloves available that are powder-free and provide the same degree of protection, hand dexterity, and performance without posing the same risks to patients and healthcare providers.

• Describe the history of and rationale for powdered glove use.
• Discuss the negative outcomes for surgical patients and healthcare workers associated with powdered glove use.
• Understand recent global directives regarding elimination of powdered examination and surgical gloves.
• Appreciate the responses of manufacturers to powdered glove bans.
• Understand the need to develop or update protocols for removing and replacing all powdered examination and surgical gloves with powder-free alternatives.