Deadly Powder On Medical Gloves: A Wake-Up Call to the Food and Drug Administration

Both the United Kingdom and Germany have banned the use of cornstarch on medical gloves because it can injure healthcare workers and patients and can cause life-threatening injuries and even death. For the last ten years, author Richard F. Edlich has worked to persuade the US Food and Drug Administration to ban this dangerous substance in medical environments. In Deadly Powder on Medical Gloves, he provides a detailed account of this hazardous health issue-the use of medical products that are laced with irritating and potentially deadly dust in the healthcare environment. Edlich shares information about his experience and his extensive research into the use of cornstarch-laden latex gloves in the medical profession; he also presents a brief review of the literature relating to studies of the toxic effects of such use. In addition, he discusses a citizens' petition to ban cornstarch on medical gloves and examines the double-glove hole puncture indication system, a revolutionary advance in surgery. Deadly Powder on Medical Gloves encourages consumers and all health professionals to only use powder-free gloves because the deadly powder may endanger lives.