Healthcare Workers Who Suffer from Allergies Can Benefit from Nitrile Gloves

According to the American Latex Allergy Association, anywhere between 8% and 17% of all health care workers suffer from some sort of latex allergy. That’s a lot of people that must deal with allergies daily, and it’s a serious problem for medical facilities that have workers that need to protect themselves. That’s why many hospitals around the world have begun to stock nitrile gloves instead of latex. Both gloves fit similar purposes, but the nitrile gloves offer relief to the workers with latex allergies. Why Nitrile Gloves are Recommended Above LatexrnThere are a few different reasons that nitrile gloves are recommended instead of latex today, especially for medical staff. They’re preferred mainly because they won’t cause a reaction on someone that suffers from a latex allergy, but there are other benefits to using nitrile gloves as well. Nitrile gloves offer superior puncture resistance compared to latex, and they offer improved chemical protection. The gloves also show punctures much more clearly, helping a professional realize there is a tear so that they can replace the gloves with another pair instead. Allergy Testing to See if You’re Allergic to LatexrnIf a person may suspect that they are allergic to latex, there are two different tests that are commonly done to determine if that’s true or not. The person can easily order a latex allergy test and get a skin test or a blood test performed to find out if they are indeed allergic. During a skin test a small piece of latex is placed on top of the patient’s skin and a small needle is used to prick the skin allowing the latex to contact lower layers of the skin. In patients with a latex allergy a small bump will form in the location of the latex. If no bump forms it’s unlikely that a latex allergy exists in the person. rnWith a blood test, medical professionals can collect a small blood sample and send it to a lab for analysis. There are special tests that can be performed on blood alone to determine if it’s sensitive to latex or not, identifying a latex allergy. Medical Alert Bracelets for Latex AllergiesrnHealthcare workers benefit from a latex-free environment at most hospitals, but there are still some today that stock latex gloves. That’s why it’s so important for people that suffer from severe latex allergies to get a medical alert bracelet to wear to inform their care staff of any latex allergies even if they are unconscious. The bracelet fits around the wrist and is easy to see, alerting staff members that they must handle the patient with latex-free gloves to avoid causing irritation or serious allergic reactions. Why Hospitals Today Usually Only Stock Nitrile GlovesrnSince few people are allergic to high quality nitrile gloves, it’s the preferred method of protection at most hospitals around the country today. Hospitals keep a large supply of nitrile gloves on hand and all the staff can use the same product without issue. Latex gloves cannot be used by a portion of hospital staff members, creating an inconvenient situation for the workers and the hospital supply department that must stock latex alternatives along with standard latex gloves. It’s more efficient to use the same gloves for everyone, which is why nitrile is the new medical standard. Nitrile gloves are found in most hospitals around the country today, and that’s largely because they’re just more convenient to use. There are few allergy concerns to worry about, and the gloves offer top-notch protection as well. References: rn1. - http://latexallergyresources.org/statisticsrn2. - https://www.americanmedical-id.com/latex-allergyrn3. - http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/latex-allergy/basics/tests-diagnosis/con-20024233rn4. - https://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/conserveogram/01-12.pdfrn