Joint Commission to check for FDA powdered glove compliance

The Joint Commission surveyors will now check to see if hospitals are compliant with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) ban on powdered medical gloves. The ban went into effect in January, with the administration citing the powder’s potential to cause severe airway and wound inflammation, granulomas, and post-surgical adhesions in the tissue between internal organs. Powdered latex gloves also carry the risk of allergic reaction in patients. The Joint Commission will now issue citations on the powdered glove ban under LD 04.01.01, element of performance 2.

 “This ban is about protecting patients and healthcare professionals from a danger they might not even be aware of,” said Jeffrey Shuren, MD, director of FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, in a press release. “We take bans very seriously and only take this action when we feel it’s necessary to protect the public health.”

To learn more about the FDA’s decision, read our previous coverage on the ban.