Here are eight things to know:
1. The FDA seeks to ban powdered surgeons’ gloves, the absorbable powder used for lubricating them and powdered gloves for patient examinations.
2. Various health systems have implemented such bans, including Cleveland Clinic and Baltimore-based John Hopkins.
3. Approximately 93 percent of clinicians use powder-free medical gloves.
4. In 2011, the FDA proposed adding a label warning on the gloves, yet the agency never implemented the proposal.
5. The FDA claims the agency could not change the labeling to correct the risk of illness or injury powdered gloves pose.
6. Several groups including the American College of Surgeons, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and American Nurses Association spoke out against powdered gloves.
7. The FDA said the proposal will not cause a glove shortage or ensuing economic fallout. Because of the availability of non-powdered gloves, the FDA does not believe the ban will impact medical practices.
8. The agency is accepting comments for the next 90 days.
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