Malaysia warns U.S. over using synthetic gloves
sg.news.yahoo.com
Tuesday October 30, 9:21 PM
Malaysia warns U.S. over using synthetic gloves
By Barani Krishnan
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Americans insisting on synthetic gloves for fear of protein allergy from latex may expose themselves to greater risks of viral transmission amid the anthrax scare, Malaysian rubber industry officials have warned.
As controversy over the safety of natural rubber gloves raged on due to increased demand for the product spurred by the anthrax scare, officials from the world's largest maker of gloves produced testimony on Tuesday that latex gave the best protection.
"Americans switching from latex gloves to vinyl gloves may actually be exposing themselves to greater risks of viral transmissions just because some people tell them to avoid latex gloves because of protein," said Wong Kum Choon, chief executive of the Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council.
His remarks came a day after Malaysian Primary Industries Minister Lim Keng Yaik chided U.S. officials for not clearly spelling out standards for natural rubber gloves so that Malaysian producers could show how well they comply.
Three Americans have died after exposure to the bacteria and at least 13 others are infected after a series of anthrax-tainted letters arrived at U.S. government offices and media organisations.
Thousands of people have been tested or treated for the rare disease since the September 11 suicide attacks on the United States. Anthrax outbreaks have boosted the use of protective gloves as postal workers take precautions opening suspicious mail.
U.S. NURSES FEAR ALLERGIES
Nurses in the United States were reported this week to have demanded gloves made from synthetic rubber, in place of natural material, to avoid allergies.
Wong, in an interview with Reuters, showed research by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that said synthetic material such as poly vinyl chloride (PVC) were inferior to natural rubber for protection purposes.
"Gloves made from some of these alternative materials, such as plasticized PVC, include high levels of chemical additives which may cause skin irritation and or/allergic reactions," the FDA said in a report commissioned in 1997.
"Although vinyl gloves are less expensive than NRL (natural rubber latex), research indicates they are not necessarily the best alternative," it said, adding that latex material fitted better when worn and could reseal when tiny punctures occurred.
Wong said although the FDA had not reached a consensus with Malaysia on the acceptable level of protein in rubber gloves, the Standard Malaysian Glove had its own limit of 50 micrograms per decimetre square for powder-free gloves.
For gloves powdered with corn-starch, meant for easier wear, the limit was 200 micrograms per decimetre square, he said.
"Barrier integrity is the main concern for medical gloves and glove manufacturers," the FDA report said. "Consequently, NRL is still the barrier of choice in the U.S."
The American Journal of Infection Control, in an October 1999 publication, said one study that same year showed vinyl had a failure chance of 12 to 20 percent in protection tests compared with zero to four percent exhibited by latex.
Nurses.com said di-ethylhexyl phtalates (DEHP), a softener used in PVC products, "can potentially cause damage to the heart, liver, ovaries, testes, lungs and kidneys, and interfere with sperm production."
"DEHP can be released when a PVC medical device is heated or when then the device comes into contact with such things as blood, drugs, saline, or water," it said.
Malaysia makes about 55 percent of the world's rubber gloves, followed by Thailand and Indonesia, which make a third and about 10 percent respectively.
Lim, the minister, said he was concerned the latest controversy could hurt Malaysian glove makers at a time when they had potential of increasing sales to the United States.
But a manufacturer said it was still early for such fears.
"We find that at the moment, our U.S. sales are still going strongly," said K.M. Lee, general manager at Kuala Lumpur-based Top Glove Sdn Bhd, which has projected a 30 to 40 percent sales growth in fiscal 2002 due to the anthrax scare. |
