Question - What adaptations have been made by the manufacturers of latex gloves to help reduce the problem of latex allergy with regard to both patients and health care providers?
Answer- The cited reference notes “Over the past 15 years, manufacturers of latex gloves adapted to this emergent crisis by making substantial changes to the manufacture of medical gloves. NRL (natural rubber latex) gloves gradually became cornstarch powder free to eliminate environmental contamination with latex-laden powder, and the gloves themselves had reduced NRL allergen content most likely associated with a chlorination process. But one of the most significant changes was the development of a synthetic rubber glove made from nitrile butadiene rubber. The glove industry adapted to the changing landscape, which took many years of research in polymer chemistry to produce gloves with equivalent tear and puncture resistance, virus impermeability, elasticity, and modulus (the return to the original shape after stretching). (Kelly KJ and Sussman G. Latex allergy: Where are we now and how did we get there? 2017 J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 5(5):2012-2016)