Birth of The Surgical Glove

We’ve come to take nitrile gloves for granted, especially in these Covid-19 times. But did you know their pedigree?

First, there were latex gloves. Nitrile gloves were introduced only in the 1990s, and are more resilient to chemicals than are latex gloves. Besides, the introduction of nitrile gloves enabled those with latex allergies to protect themselves with much less concern when carrying out medical procedures.

Hevea brasiliensis is the primary and natural source of rubber which is used in the manufacture of latex products. Nitrile based products are made through a chemical process that involves the polymerization of a number of different chemicals which is why at the time of their introduction, nitrile gloves were extremely expensive, and for those of us who worked in laboratory settings were zealously guarded and sometimes even stockpiled!

Here is a brief history of how we got to use latex gloves in medicine.

And while on the matter of gloves and Covid-19 times, let’s keep those masks on when in public.