Surgical Gloves

The main purpose of surgical gloves is to act as a protective barrier to prevent the possible transmission of diseases between healthcare professionals and patients during surgical procedures. Natural rubber latex surgical gloves were first used in 1890. Their usage increased dramatically in the late 1980s when latex gloves were widely recommended to prevent transmission of blood-borne infections, such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).The incidence of allergic reactions to latex began to rise rapidly among patients and health care workers in the 1990s. Since then, new synthetic glove materials have been introduced, which have different properties with regards to strength, comfort and sensitivity. However, the majority of surgical gloves are still made from latex.