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Center in Bloomington, Minn., feels that the proposed ban is appropriate.
"There's enough scientific research that outlines the dangers of using powdered
gloves, especially those also containing latex," she says.
Ms. Groven notes, however, that the overall threat probably "isn't as serious as
it may have been 10 or 20 years ago, simply because most organizations have
stopped using powdered gloves in light of the evidence against them." Her facili-
ty, she says, got rid of the gloves well before the proposed ban came about. "I've
worked in several states, and I cannot remember the last time I saw a powdered
glove."
Ms. Roth says her facility is also phasing them out, adding that, "those who
are knowledgeable of the difficulties with these gloves welcome the transition
away from them."
Powdered latex gloves account for a shrinking, but still significant, share of the
U.S. surgical glove market, according to Cardinal Health. The company says the
overall share of surgical powdered gloves sold decreased from 32% in 2008 to 20%
in 2013. In a company survey, the most common reasons given by those still using
powdered surgical gloves were that they had worked well in the past and that
respondents hadn't seen any serious adverse effects.
"The surgeons who use powdered gloves might be a hard bunch to crack and
resistant to change," says Ms. Groven, "so I feel like that might be a barrier. But
there are good alternatives out there. Hopefully that would help ease the pain of
forced change." Physicians may notice a positive change, as well, since less-seri-
ous risks from exposure to powder — including dermatitis and dry, itchy, irritat-
ed skin — have also been observed.
A ban, says the FDA, would also have little economic impact on glove manu-
facturers, because so many viable options are on the market. Indeed, spokes-
people for several leading glove manufacturers say their companies are already
actively promoting powder-free gloves.
