Banning Latex

[emtkell]

I am all for banning Latex in all medical fields not just EMS. I am a fellow EMT that is truly allergic the latex. I know that some of you guys are thinking then why did she get into this field, well I developed this allergy after a little over a year of being in EMS. It is hard for me to work around people who do not wear latex free gloves, for example the firefighters not meaning to pick on them, but they only were latex gloves so when we are on a scene MVC and we are in close quarters with each other and one of the touches me I am always wondering am I going to have a reaction.

[Nate]

I've witnessed first hand, and I've seen/others who have had to "borrow" from hospitals to get latex free gloves. They get expensive, and you can't write them off unless you itemize (IRS people, correct me if I'm wrong please), so they are forced to take them.

It is a shame this has to happen, but good luck getting most private services around here to pay for them. My city job has four different kinds of jobs. From the "lunch lady" ones to the purple ones. All different materials, all latex free.

I truly believe that it will take the glove makers to simply stop producing latext gloves for us to truly go glove free across the healthcare field.

[Richard B the EMT]

Perhaps if we tell the glove manufacturers we really don't want the latex gloves anymore, and want the nitrile or whatever types instead, they'll make them at effective cost as to undersell the latex, which would then be taken off the market by the manufacturers themselves?